Transportation News

Hyundai Motor Group forms New Horizons Studio to develop Ultimate Mobility Vehicles (UMVs); “transformer-class vehicles”

Sep 29, 2020: Hyundai Motor Group has formed New Horizons Studio, a new unit focused on the development of Ultimate Mobility Vehicles (UMVs), including the concept Hyundai Elevate walking car introduced at CES 2019 (earlier post). Hyundai Elevate does not rely solely on wheels and is expected to address challenging driving situations—for example,...

DHL to use biofuel to neutralize carbon emissions of all ‘less-than-container’ load shipments in ocean freight globally

Sep 29, 2020: DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight specialist of Deutsche Post DHL Group, says it will be neutralizing the carbon emissions of all less-than-container load (LCL) ocean freight shipments from 1 January 2021. As one of the leading ocean freight forwarders worldwide, and in line with Deutsche Post DHL...

California reduces tax on dimethyl ether (DME) fuel to be consistent with other alternative fuels; enabling retail sales

Sep 29, 2020: The California state legislature passed and the Governor signed into law a bill (AB-2663) that lowers the Use Fuel Tax rate of dimethyl ether (DME) from $0.18 to $0.06 per gallon of DME used and $0.06 per gallon of DME-propane fuel blend used on or after 1 July 2021 (the...

Pertamina to use Honeywell UOP technologies to produce advanced biofuels in Indonesia

Sep 29, 2020: PT Pertamina (Persero)—the national oil company of Indonesia—will use Honeywell UOP technologies to produce advanced biofuels at its Plaju and Cilacap refineries in Indonesia. The company will use UOP Renewable Jet Fuel Process technology at its Plaju refinery in Palembang, South Sumatra, and UOP Ecofining technology at its Cilacap refinery...

Democrats continue to drive less than Republicans in response to the pandemic

Sep 29, 2020: by Michael Sivak, Sivak Applied Research. In two recent analyses, I have shown that, during the pandemic, the decrease in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the states with preference for Democrats was greater than in the states with preference for Republicans. This was the case in both March 2020 (the...

Adamas: “Unfathomable” rare earth demand growth awaits post-2030

Sep 29, 2020: Demand growth of the 2020s will soon be dwarfed by the astronomical demand growth of the 2030s, according to a new forecast by Adamas Intelligence. Therein lies the real defining challenge and opportunity facing the global rare earth industry today, the company said. After growing at a CAGR of 6.4%...

ZeroAvia completes first hydrogen-electric passenger plane flight

Sep 29, 2020: ZeroAvia recently completed the first hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered flight of a commercial-grade aircraft. The flight took place at the company’s R&D facility in Cranfield, England, with the Piper M-class six-seat plane completing taxi, takeoff, a full pattern circuit, and landing. This milestone on the road to commercial zero-emission flight is part of...

Ballard expanding MEA production capacity 6x by early 2021 to meet expected growth in fuel cell vehicle demand

Sep 29, 2020: Ballard Power Systems is expanding manufacturing capacity for production of its proprietary membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs)—a critical component of every fuel cell—6x by early 2021 at its headquarter facility in Vancouver. The upgraded capacity for production of 6 million MEAs annually, equivalent to approximately 1.66 Gigawatts of product, will make...

Ballard and MAHLE to collaborate on fuel cell propulsion systems for heavy- and medium-duty trucks

Sep 29, 2020: Ballard Power Systems and MAHLE have agreed to collaborate on the development and commercialization of zero-emission fuel cell systems to provide primary propulsion power in various classes of commercial trucks. MAHLE’s commercial vehicle division supplies a broad range of products to truck and other OEMs, including power cells, valves and...

Argonne: Cumulative PEV sales in the US reach 1.6 million units; BEVs outpace PHEVs

Sep 29, 2020: In August 2020, cumulative US plug-in vehicle sales reached 1.6 million units, according to data gathered by Argonne National Laboratory. Plug-in vehicles consist of both battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Source: Argonne National Laboratory, Light Duty Electric Drive Vehicles Monthly Sales Updates, August 2020. A...

HoekHome gives furniture a sustainable makeover

Sep 28, 2020: Thanks to modern furniture companies such as HoekHome, furniture assembly has changed. You can assemble HoekHome's click-together furniture with no tools other than your hands.

Trump administration appoints climate change deniers to NOAA

Sep 28, 2020: The Trump administration has already appointed one climate change denier to NOAA this month and is set to appoint another.

ASOS launches first circular fashion collection

Sep 28, 2020: This fall, online retailer ASOS is launching its first collection of circular fashions.

The durable Solo New York backpack can accompany all of your adventures

Sep 28, 2020: We tested the Re:vive Mini Backpack on a number of outdoor adventures. Here's how it held up.

Third Nature imagines a zero-emission regenerative city district in Bergen

Sep 28, 2020: An old logistics port and ferry terminal in Bergen, Norway has been reimagined into an inspiring zero-emission district.

Stanford scientists identify new Li-B-S solid electrolyte materials that boost lithium-ion battery performance

Sep 28, 2020: Stanford University scientists have identified a new solid-state Li-ion electrolyte predicted to exhibit simultaneously fast ionic conductivity, wide electrochemical stability, low cost, and low mass density. The low-cost materials—made of lithium, boron and sulfur—could improve the safety and performance of electric cars, laptops and other battery-powered devices, according to the...

Freiburg orders 15 Solaris electric buses

Sep 28, 2020: Solaris Bus & Coach has signed a contract with public transport operator Freiburger Verkehrs AG for the supply of 15 electric buses: five 12-meter Solaris Urbino 12 electric and ten 18-meter articulated Urbino 18 electric. The commissioned Urbino will be equipped with Solaris High Power batteries. Batteries with a total...

XPeng enters into cooperation agreement for new smart EV manufacturing base in Guangzhou; $586M in financing

Sep 28, 2020: Chinese EV contender XPeng announced that its wholly owned subsidiary in China, Guangdong Xiaopeng Motors Technology Co., Ltd. entered into a cooperation agreement with Guangzhou GET Investment Holdings Co., Ltd., a wholly owned investment company of Guangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone. According to the terms of the Cooperation Agreement,...

Study finds scrubbers have lower climate impact than low-sulfur fuel

Sep 28, 2020: A recent report from CE Delft, an independent research and consultancy organization, regarding the climate impact of Exhaust Gas Cleaning (EGC) systems for the marine industry. The study compares the results to the use of low-sulfur marine fuels and is made from a well-to-wake perspective in order to achieve an...

Fraunhofer ISI/ICCT analysis of PHEV data finds real-world CO2 emissions 2-4x higher than official values

Sep 28, 2020: A new analysis of the real-world usage of more than 100,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles shows a large deviation between on-road CO2 emissions and fuel efficiency and the official vehicle type-approval values. The results of the joint study, released by German Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI and...

New iron-based superelastic alloy capable of withstanding extreme temperatures

Sep 28, 2020: Researchers from Tohoku University’s Graduate School of Engineering have discovered a novel iron-based superelastic alloy (SEA) capable of withstanding extreme temperatures—both high and low. A paper on the work is published in Science. SEAs are found in a wide variety of commercial applications because of their superelasticity, allowing them to...

SLAC invention could make particle accelerators 10 times smaller

Sep 28, 2020: Particle accelerators generate high-energy beams of electrons, protons and ions for a wide range of applications, including particle colliders that shed light on nature’s subatomic components, X-ray lasers that film atoms and molecules during chemical reactions and medical devices for treating cancer. As a rule of thumb, the longer the...

ORNL composite increases current capacity of copper wires; ultra-efficient, power-dense electric motors

Sep 27, 2020: Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have created a composite that increases the electrical current capacity of copper wires, providing a new material that can be scaled for use in ultra-efficient, power-dense electric vehicle traction motors. ORNL scientists used new techniques to create long lengths of a composite copper-carbon nanotube...

KIST-Hanyang team develops single-atom Pt catalyst for SOFCs

Sep 27, 2020: The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announced that Dr. Kyung-Joong Yoon and Researcher Ji-Su Shin from the Center for Energy Materials Research, together with Professor Yun -Jung Lee from Hanyang University (Hanyang University, President Woo-Seung Kim), have developed a single-atom Pt catalyst that can be used for SOFCs....

Evonik and Siemens Energy commission pilot plant for conversion of CO2 to chemicals

Sep 27, 2020: Evonik and Siemens Energy commissioned a pilot plant—sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)—that uses carbon dioxide and water to produce chemicals. The necessary energy is supplied by electricity from renewable sources. The pilot plant is located in Marl, in the northern Ruhr area. It is...

US Xpress releases trucking industry forecast; driver turnover, truckload capacity and load volumes significantly impact market

Sep 27, 2020: US Xpress, Inc., one of the US’ largest asset-based truckload carriers by revenue, released its September industry forecast spotlighting key economic trends and updates specific to the trucking industry. Three key insights include: Rising Driver Turnover. As the economy slowly recovers, freight volumes will rise and drivers will become an...

EIA: US fuel ethanol plant production capacity creeps up to 17.4B gallons per year

Sep 27, 2020: The US Energy Information Administration released its annual fuel ethanol production capacity report, with data for all operating US fuel ethanol production plants as of 1 January 2020. According to the EIA, total nameplate capacity for 2020 has creeped up to 17.378 billion gallons per year, up 2.8% from 16.908...

Hyundai showcases RM20e racing midship electric sports car, Prophecy concept EV at Auto China

Sep 26, 2020: At the 16th Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2020), Beijing Hyundai Motor Company showcased its RM20e electric racing midship sports car prototype and Prophecy concept EV model, demonstrating the reach of its EV ambitions. The new Tucson as well as new Elantra also made their debuts to Chinese customers....

Total BEV sales in California at 8.9% of 2030 goal

Sep 26, 2020: The California Center for Jobs & The Economy has released an updated report (earlier post) on the progress of ZEV sales in the state during the first half of 2020, drawing on sales data from the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA). For a baseline, the report uses the goal...

Volkswagen and Uber launch pilot project with e-Golf EVs in Berlin

Sep 26, 2020: Volkswagen and Uber have launched a pilot project for the utilization of electric vehicles within the sustainable ride hailing service “Uber Green”. The objective of the pilot project is to use a number of year-old e-Golf vehicles which may run into three digits. Volkswagen has already been using the e-Golf...

Fisker to establish new technology center in San Francisco

Sep 26, 2020: Fisker Inc. announced details surrounding its first dedicated engineering and technology center, to be located in the Mission District of San Francisco. This facility will be the focal point and development center for the company’s software and vehicle electronics, including both in-car and Fisker data center elements. With the development...

HOH Cafe is a shipping container coffee shop hidden in a tranquil park

Sep 25, 2020: Tucked away into a forested area on the edge of Taiwan’s Zhubei City, the HOH Cafe is a shipping container coffee shop that offers a quiet respite for the area’s busy residents.

No new gas-powered cars by 2035, California governor says

Sep 25, 2020: California Governor Gavin Newsom's new executive order bans the sale of all new gasoline-powered cars and passenger trucks by 2035. After that, only zero-emissions new cars will be sold in the state of California. Californians will still be able to own, drive, buy and sell used cars that run on gas.

Record number of pilot whales get stranded, die in Tasmania

Sep 25, 2020: Over 380 long-finned pilot whales have been confirmed dead after nearly 500 were stranded on Tasmania's west coast.

How to make soy wax candles for a cozy, autumnal home

Sep 25, 2020: Learn how to make DIY soy candles for your home and to give as gifts.

Abu Dhabi Flamingo Visitor Center blends into the landscape

Sep 25, 2020: Petr Janda / brainwork studio has won an international competition with its design of the Abu Dhabi Flamingo Visitor Center, a proposed center that would service the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve located southeast of central Abu Dhabi.

Three fire trucks with Volvo Penta electric drivelines heading to Berlin, Amsterdam and Dubai to begin customer testing

Sep 25, 2020: Volvo Penta has developed an electric driveline for leading fire service vehicle manufacturer Rosenbauer’s pioneering fire truck, named “Revolutionary Technology” (RT). The truck was officially launched at an event in Austria. The RTs will now be sent to fire departments in Berlin, Amsterdam and Dubai to begin real-world customer testing....

Lightning Systems electric shuttle buses now offered on CALACT purchasing contract

Sep 25, 2020: Communities throughout California can now purchase all-electric shuttle buses and ADA-equipped vans from Lightning Systems on a new California Association for Coordinated Transportation (CALACT) cooperative purchasing contract. City and county governments, transportation agencies, as well as nonprofits, can order all-electric Class 3 to 5 passenger buses under the program. Vehicles...

Keolis launches a new 5G autonomous electric vehicle trial in Stockholm

Sep 25, 2020: Keolis, in partnership with Urban ICT Arena, Telia, Ericsson Intel and T-engineering, has launched a new autonomous self-driving, electric minibus trial in Stockholm, Sweden, using 5G technology to control and supervise the vehicle remotely. This trial aims to explore the safe introduction of self-driving autonomous electric vehicles in complex urban...

Consumer Reports analysis finds EV owners spending half as much on maintenance compared to owners of gas-powered vehicles

Sep 25, 2020: A new analysis by Consumer Reports finds that owners of plug-in electric vehicles are spending half as much on maintenance and repair as the owners of similar gas-powered vehicles. Consumer Reports (CR) analyzed its 2019 and 2020 reliability survey data for many thousands of electric and gas-powered vehicles, and found...

The Heimplanet Travel Pack gets a sustainable new upgrade

Sep 24, 2020: Adventure luggage and tent company Heimplanet has given its popular travel pack a 2020 upgrade.

China plans to go carbon-neutral by 2060

Sep 24, 2020: China, the world’s biggest source of carbon dioxide, is aiming for carbon-neutrality by 2060.

Critical Antarctic glaciers are drifting away

Sep 24, 2020: The findings, which follow analyses of satellite imagery, indicate that a natural buffer that prevents the glaciers from breaking away is deteriorating at a rapid rate and could lead to destructive sea level rise.

Indie comic book characters are brought to life as unique cardboard cutouts

Sep 24, 2020: After creating a life-size board game out of cardboard, Luanga ‘Lue’ Nuwame has combined his love of cardboard crafting with another passion — rare comic book action figures.

New Tokyo Toilet Project designs public restrooms to foster inclusivity

Sep 24, 2020: Japan-based Nippon Foundation has launched its Tokyo Toilet Project to design and build new, inclusive public toilets at 17 different locations throughout the Shibuya district of Tokyo.

From golf to gardens: Houston's new botanical garden opens

Sep 23, 2020: It's a loss for golfers but a big win for plant lovers. After decades in the planning stage, the Houston Botanic Garden finally opened September 18 on the former Glenbrook Golf Course in southeast Houston. The garden serves as yet another draw for locals and visitors to explore Sims Bayou, a watershed area near Hobby Airport that already includes miles of walking and biking trails and countless places to launch canoes.