Transportation News

Graphene Flagship team develops powerful graphene-titania photocatalyst to reduce NOx

Dec 8, 2019: Graphene Flagship partners the University of Bologna, Politecnico di Milano, CNR, NEST, Italcementi HeidelbergCement Group, the Israel Institute of Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology, and the University of Cambridge have developed a graphene-titania photocatalyst that degrades up to 70% more atmospheric nitrogen oxides (NOx) than standard titania nanoparticles in tests...

Hydro-Québec will support the clean hydrogen sector in Québec

Dec 8, 2019: Hydro-Québec operates some 60 hydroelectric generating stations, making it one of the largest hydroelectricity producers in the world. Decarbonizing the economy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is one of the company’s priorities. In addition to having access to Québec’s vast water resources to generate green, renewable power at competitive...

Bombardier using Gevo’s sustainable aviation fuel for new aircraft deliveries in Canada

Dec 8, 2019: Avfuel is providing Bombardier with an inaugural shipment of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for new customer aircraft deliveries in Canada. Avfuel sources SAF from Gevo and blends it with petroleum-based jet fuel. This mixture is then tested for fuel quality and to ensure it meets ASTM D1655 standards. The product...

ENGIE selects Plug Power for refueling system for hydrogen-powered mine truck; 1 tonne H2/day

Dec 7, 2019: ENGIE, a global energy and services company, has selected Plug Power Inc. to provide a custom refueling system for the world’s largest hydrogen-powered mine haul truck (300 metric ton load capacity), which is set to begin operation next year. (Earlier post.) The project has emerged from a global partnership agreement...

Nexeon acquires key Si anode patent sets

Dec 7, 2019: UK-based Nexeon, a company engineering silicon materials for next generation lithium-ion batteries, has acquired three important sets of patents relating to the use of silicon in lithium ion battery anodes. The granted patents have global coverage and were previously owned by Litarion GmbH, and were acquired following that company’s insolvency....

Solicitation for $60M Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Combustion Freight and Marine Project funding

Dec 7, 2019: The California Air Resources Board (ARB) announced the opening off the application period for the competitive Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Combustion Freight and Marine Project funding. This solicitation is open to eligible owners of in-use freight trucks, switcher locomotives, ferries, tugboats and towboats throughout California. The South Coast Air Quality Management...

Shmas Bangkok Green Link wants to add over 30 miles of greenways to Bangkok

Dec 6, 2019: In a bid to reconnect the city to nature and encourage residents to adopt healthier lifestyles, the project links major neighborhoods and transportation nodes with lush linear parks with diverse programming.

Minimalist home in the Brazilian countryside is made from mining waste

Dec 6, 2019: Brazilian architectural firm Gustavo Penna Arquiteto e Associados (GPA&A) has unveiled a tiny, minimalist home with a small stature that conceals a powerhouse of sustainable design.

Families in China create an eco-community of timber, A-frame cabins

Dec 6, 2019: Spanning more than 20 acres in China's Mogan River Valley, Wiki Tribe Park consists of multiple A-framed cabins made out of cross-laminated timber.

Flowing marine research center inspired by tsunami waves

Dec 6, 2019: This proposed marine research center is inspired by tsunamis — inside and out.

Museum of Plastic pops up during Art Basel Miami Beach

Dec 6, 2019: Inhabitat speaks with Lonely Whale executive directory Dune Ives about the Museum of Plastic.

SAE International to launch pre-competitive research project to improve EV charging station and network security

Dec 6, 2019: SAE International plans to form an industry-led pre-competitive research project to strengthen electric vehicle (EV) charging system security, leading to a more secure implementation of Plug & Charge for ISO 15118 and CHAdeMO 2.0 protocols. The project will result in the creation a strong two-way authentication method between the EV,...

BAE Systems and Jaunt Air Mobility to collaborate on electric energy management systems for urban air mobility platforms

Dec 6, 2019: BAE Systems is collaborating with Jaunt Air Mobility to explore the development of electric energy management systems for urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles through a memorandum of understanding (MOU). UAM is an aviation industry term for on-demand and automated passenger or cargo-carrying air transportation services, typically flown without a pilot....

INRIX study identifies routes with greatest potential for e-VTOL services

Dec 6, 2019: A new study by INRIX has identified the routes with greatest potential where Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (e-VTOL) services could instantly provide fast, reliable trips to broad geographic areas. While the e-VTOL market is still in its infancy, the potential is massive over the long run to reshape commuting...

Volvo Group Venture Capital invests in Apex.AI; software for autonomous mobility

Dec 6, 2019: Volvo Group Venture Capital AB has invested in Apex.AI, a a Palo Alto, California-based software company in the field of autonomous mobility. The investment will fund the development of a safety-certified software framework for autonomous systems, Apex.OS. Apex.AI is building an automotive-grade version of ROS (Robot Operating System), an established...

Volkswagen demonstrates first successful real-world use of quantum computing to help optimize traffic routing

Dec 6, 2019: Volkswagen AG has successfully demonstrated the world’s first live use of quantum computing to help optimize traffic routing. During the Web Summit conference in Lisbon, Portugal, nine public transit buses used a traffic management system developed by Volkswagen scientists in the United States and Germany, powered by a D-Wave quantum...

Adamas: despite global drop in EV sales, battery materials remain strong

Dec 6, 2019: Following a reduction of buyer incentives in China earlier this year, the resultant drop in global monthly EV sales continued through October 2019, which saw a 19% reduction in passenger EV sales versus the same month the year prior, according to Adamas Intelligence. The global sales-weighted average passenger EV’s battery...

SK Innovation signs 6-year agreement with Glencore for up to 30K tonnes cobalt; batteries for 3M EVs

Dec 6, 2019: SK Innovation has signed a six-year agreement with Glencore for up to around 30,000 tonnes of cobalt contained in hydroxide between 2020 and 2025. Glencore projects approximately 30,000 tonnes of cobalt production per year through 2022 with its Katanga mine in Africa (DRC). SK Innovation said that by signing the...

GM, LG Chem to form JV, invest $2.3B to build new EV battery cell plant in Ohio

Dec 6, 2019: General Motors and LG Chem are partnering to mass-produce battery cells for future battery-electric vehicles. Together, the companies will invest up to a total of $2.3 billion through a new, equally-owned joint venture company. The JV will establish a battery cell assembly plant on a greenfield manufacturing site in the...

OC&C survey finds US consumers lag behind major industrialized countries in embracing electric/hybrid vehicles

Dec 6, 2019: Americans are much less likely than consumers in other major industrialized countries to purchase an electric vehicle or hybrid, largely because of concerns over access to charging stations away from home, according to a survey by global consulting firm OC&C Strategy Consultants. The survey, which included 10,000 respondents across five...

Impress loved ones with these homemade foods for holiday gifts

Dec 5, 2019: Everybody has to eat, and a food gift doesn’t hang around forever, taking up space.

Study shows how plant-based catering can greatly reduce events' carbon footprints

Dec 5, 2019: A recent analysis published by the Center for Biological Diversity’s Catering to the Climate report finds that replacing meat with plant-based menu offerings at conferences, corporate gatherings and holiday parties can greatly reduce the impact of these events.

Solar-powered Dutch home produces all of its own energy with surplus to spare

Dec 5, 2019: The Energy Plant House combines solar panels, passive solar strategies and a highly insulating envelope to achieve its energy-plus goals.

This durable, recyclable cooler is made from bamboo, wool, steel and aluminum

Dec 5, 2019: Called the Wooly Mammoth, this cooler strives to solve the problem of trashed coolers filling landfills, where they remain for generations.

Luca Curci Architects proposes a self-sustainable Vertical City of the future

Dec 5, 2019: Italian architecture firm Luca Curci Architects has unveiled the Vertical City, a futuristic proposal for urban development comprising a series of modular, zero-energy skyscrapers anchored into the ocean floor.

Mercedes-Benz Cars starts production of PHEV batteries in Bangkok; 3rd plant in global battery production network

Dec 5, 2019: Mercedes-Benz Cars has opened a factory for plug-in hybrid (PHEV) batteries in the Bangkok region in Thailand. The new battery factory was built on a 50,000 m² site located at the vehicle manufacturing plant in the Bangkok region. The new plant is the third production facility in the company’s global...

KIT and Wintershall Dea collaborating to develop industrial-scale methane pyrolysis for CO2-free production of hydrogen

Dec 5, 2019: Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and colleagues earlier developed an efficient process for methane pyrolysis. Methane pyrolysis separates methane (CH4) into gaseous hydrogen and solid carbon that is a valuable material for various industry branches and can also be stored safely. Now, KIT is partnering with industry...

Diamond Green Diesel seeks LCFS certification for three renewable diesel pathways

Dec 5, 2019: Diamond Green Diesel Holdings LLC (DGD) has filed an application with the California Air Resources Board (ARB) seeking carbon intensity (CI) certification for the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) of renewable diesel (RD) pathways from distillers corn oil; rendered animal fat; and used cooking oil (UCO) at the Diamond Green...

New collaborative project to optimize EV drive unit power density, efficiency and cost through advanced materials

Dec 5, 2019: UK-based Drive System Design (DSD) is the lead partner in a new project that seeks to improve the efficiency of the integrated electric drive unit (EDU) of electric vehicles (EVs). The 12-month project, part-funded by Innovate UK and with the National Composites Center (NCC) as partner, will investigate the use...

Van Hool orders 20 Ballard fuel cell modules to power buses in Holland

Dec 5, 2019: Ballard Power Systems announced a purchase order from Van Hool, a leading bus OEM and Ballard partner headquartered in Belgium, for 20 FCveloCity-HD 85kW fuel cell modules to power buses in Groningen, the Netherlands, under the JIVE2 funding program. Ballard plans to deliver the 20 FCveloCity-HD 85kW modules in 2020....

Global Carbon Project: Global carbon emissions growth slows, but hits record high

Dec 5, 2019: Driven by rising natural gas and oil consumption, levels of CO2 are expected to hit 37 billion metric tons this year, according to new estimates from the Global Carbon Project (GCP), an initiative led by Stanford University scientist Rob Jackson. The findings are outlined in three new papers published in...

IKEA, CMA CGM & GoodShipping successfully complete 2019 biofuel test program; HFO-equivalent bio-fuel oil

Dec 5, 2019: IKEA Transport & Logistics Services, the CMA CGM Group, and the GoodShipping Program successfully completed their 2019 biofuel test program on CMA CGM vessels, following the positive trials of Heavy Fuel Oil-equivalent (HFO) Bio-Fuel Oil (GoodFuels BFO) during CMA CGM Alexander Von Humboldt’s North Europe-Asia trip, which occurred in September...

These DIY backyard saunas are just what you need to stay warm and toasty this winter

Dec 4, 2019: Are you dreading the dark, frigid months of winter? A DIY sauna is the cure for those cold-weather blues.

Historic schoolhouse is reborn into a contemporary hotel in the Columbia River Gorge

Dec 4, 2019: Historic preservation meets modern hospitality design in The Society Hotel in the Columbia River Gorge.

Perkins and Will designs modular, affordable housing for the homeless

Dec 4, 2019: In response to the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles, Perkins and Will’s Los Angeles studio has proposed DOME.

Chic B&B in New South Wales is inside a shed made of upcycled materials

Dec 4, 2019: If you are thinking about going down under for a vacation, make sure to check out this beautiful B&B located in a shed in New South Wales.

Sustainable holiday gift ideas for your friends

Dec 4, 2019: Check out this green gift guide to give every friend on your list the gift of sustainability this holiday season.

Hyundai Motor Strategy 2025 lays out transition into smart mobility solution provider

Dec 4, 2019: Hyundai Motor Company announced a new roadmap—Strategy 2025—intended to secure its position as a frontrunner in the future mobility industry. Under Strategy 2025, the company will foster Smart Mobility Device and Smart Mobility Service as two core business pillars; the synergy between the two pillars is expected to facilitate the...

New fka and Roland Berger E-Mobility Index finds China best prepared for electric mobility among all automotive nations

Dec 4, 2019: China continues to be the leading country for e-mobility in terms of industry and market, according to the E-Mobility Index 2019 from fka GmbH and Roland Berger GmbH. Although Germany takes the lead from France in terms of technology for this latest report, China is catching up quickly and ranks...

BNEF annual Li-ion battery price survey finds prices fell 13% from 2018 to average $156/kWh in 2019

Dec 4, 2019: Battery prices, which were above $1,100 per kilowatt-hour in 2010, have fallen 87% in real terms to $156/kWh in 2019. By 2023, average prices will be close to $100/kWh, according to the latest forecast from research company BloombergNEF (BNEF). Cost reductions in 2019 are thanks to increasing order size; growth...

Daimler Mobility AG & Geely Technology Group inaugurate ‘StarRides’ premium ride-hailing service in Hangzhou

Dec 4, 2019: Daimler Mobility AG and Geely Technology Group, a subsidiary of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (Geely Holding), unveiled the premium ride-hailing provider StarRides in China with inaugural services to begin in Hangzhou in December 2019. The ride-hailing joint venture will begin operating in Hangzhou, a city of more than 10 million...

Mercedes-Benz’ Lab1886 supporting Rolls-Royce Power Systems in pilot project for stationary fuel-cell systems

Dec 4, 2019: Lab1886, the innovation unit for business models within Mercedes-Benz AG, is now supporting drive and energy system provider Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG in a pilot project in the field of stationary energy supply systems. Over the coming months, Rolls-Royce will develop a holistic concept for future sustainable and independent emergency...

Western Power Distribution and Ricardo to lead project tapping latent capacity in networks to power charging hubs

Dec 4, 2019: In the UK, Western Power Distribution and Ricardo are leading a new project—DC share—that will develop and trial a novel solution to use latent capacity in distribution networks to power charging hubs. DC Share will share capacity across existing AC electricity distribution network substations, enabling increased numbers of high-power electric...

IVECO, FPT Industrial and Nikola Corporation unveil Nikola TRE battery-electric truck for European markets

Dec 4, 2019: IVECO, FPT Industrial and Nikola unveiled the maquette of the Nikola TRE battery-electric truck, the first vehicle resulting from the joint venture between CNH Industrial and Nikola, which involves the commercial vehicle brand and the powertrain specialist. (Earlier post.) The battery electric Nikola TRE, which is based on the IVECO...

Lightning Systems raises $41M for production ramp up of electric powertrains for commercial vehicles; round led by BP Ventures

Dec 4, 2019: Colorado-based Lightning Systems, a global developer of zero-emission drivetrains, has raised $41 million in equity, debt, and working capital line funding from existing and new investors. The round was led by BP Ventures, with participation from other existing investors and new investor, Cupola Infrastructure Income Fund, LLLP, a private equity...

Striking, sinuous home outside of So Paulo is inspired by the shape of native pine trees

Dec 3, 2019: The Pinhão House boasts a unique, elliptical volume with various levels and a leaf-shaped roof that juts out over a covered swimming pool, which is also integrated into the home's curved shape.

Cedar Haven is a forest retreat made with reclaimed logs

Dec 3, 2019: Blending contemporary design with natural materials, Washington-based residential architecture firm Gelotte Hommas Drivdahl Architecture completed a stunning timber home that feels like an extension of its alpine forest environment. Created for a homeowner who wanted a residence that echoed the tranquility of its mountain surroundings, the aptly named Cedar Haven was built mainly from stone and timber—much of which was reclaimed from the site itself. Several salvaged logs and other found objects...

Olson Kundig designs worlds first Recompose facility for composting human remains

Dec 3, 2019: Olson Kundig has unveiled designs for the flagship facility of Recompose, a company that will offer a new and sustainable after-death care service, in which human rains are gently converted into clean soil.

A family builds an impressive, 300-square-foot tiny home to travel the world

Dec 3, 2019: Their custom tiny home on wheels, as functional as it is beautiful, features all of the creature comforts of a contemporary family home.

Dutch company collects plastic pollution from rivers to make parks and products

Dec 3, 2019: Plastic pollution is a worldwide problem, with piles of debris along coastlines, on roadsides, in landfills and floating in waterways. Environmentally conscious companies are looking for ways to clean up the mess while simultaneously seeking out methods to recycle products into other products. One Dutch company, The Recycled Island Foundation (RIF), is tackling both problems with one solution — Litter Traps.