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Electric Aircraft Symposium will take-off April 24

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:28:00 +0000

If you have a strong interest in electric vehicles taking flight (in both the metaphoric and non-metaphoric senses) than you may want to attend the upcoming Electric Aircraft Symposium on April 24th at the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, California . The impressive line up of speakers features such notables as Dr. Yi Cui of nanowire battery breakthrough fame and will touch on subjects ranging from climate science to the proposed Aviation Green Prize (an Automotive X-Prize type competition). Though your electric vehicle interests may be oriented more toward the surface-based variety, the same concerns about energy and efficiency exist in the airborne sort too, perhaps to an even greater extent. The expertise on-hand may be quite valuable. Speaking of value, if you register before the 15th of April you can save $60 and pay only $245 for the full day affair which includes snack breaks and a networking lunch and dinner. Click here for the list of speakers that have been confirmed so far. [Source: CAFE Foundation ] Electric Aircraft Symposium will take-off April 24 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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California Air Resources Board proposes Low Carbon Fuel Standard

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:24:00 +0000

The California Air Resources Board wants to reduce the amount of carbon in transportation fuels as a way to reduce the resulting greenhouse gas emissions. One way CARB wants to meet California’s stated goal of a statewide GHG emissions cap for 2020 (which would be based on 1990 emissions) is a Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Since at least 2007, CARB has been looking into implementing a Low Carbon Fuel Standard, and yesterday made an official announcement of a public hearing to consider the adoption of this standard. As a preliminary measure, this standard “would reduce GHG emissions by reducing the carbon intensity of transportation fuels used in California by an average of 10 percent by the year 2020.” The draft regulations issued yesterday call for the fuel industry to meet the first step of the standard by 2011. Up to 20 percent of the conventional fuels used today would be replaced by things like electricity, hydrogen, natural gas and biofuels. CARB will hold a public hearing on the proposal on April 23rd and 24th. More details here and at GreenTechMedia . [Source: CARB via GreenTechMedia ] Auto Blog: Legislation and Policy , USA California Air Resources Board proposes Low Carbon Fuel Standard originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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California may soon require smog checks for motorcycles

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:30:00 +0000

Back on February 26th, California State Senator Fran Pavley introduced legislation that would “amend Section 44011 of, and to add Section 44012.5 to, the Health and Safety Code, relating to air pollution.” All right, what’s that mean? Basically, this legislation would require motorcycle owners in California to get smog checks for their motorcycles once every two years. The law would cover all motorcycles model year 2000 or newer and, if passed, would go into effect on January 1st, 2012. As of today, motorcycles are exempt from smog checks in California. As with other motorcycles in that state, all motorcycles with current registration as road vehicles would need to be checked by the Department of Consumer Affairs and any transfer of ownership would also require an updated certificate of compliance. A majority vote will be required to pass this new legislation into law, which could take place any time after March 28th. See the complete bill at this link . [Source: California Legislature via The Kneeslider | Photo: steven.buss ] Auto Blog: Legislation and Policy , On Two Wheels , Green Daily , USA California may soon require smog checks for motorcycles originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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EPA opens up public comment window on CA emissions waiver

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 07:34:00 +0000

President Obama announced in January that he was asking the EPA to reconsider a December 2007 decision by the Bush Administration’s to deny California an emissions rules waiver (for background, Car Blog Greenthis ). Today, the EPA is holding a (the first?) public hearing on the subject in Arlington, Virginia (for specifics, click past the jump). Earlier this year, we heard that the EPA would acceptCar Blog Green from the public for at least 45 to 60 days, but the comment period ends on April 6. The good news? The EPA says it “will consider writtenCar Blog Green submitted during the comment period with the same weight as oralCar Blog Green presented during the public hearing.” Find out how to submitCar Blog Green here , and get your typing fingers ready. [Source: EPA ] Continue reading EPA opens up public comment window on CA emissions waiver Auto Blog: Legislation and Policy , Green Daily , USA EPA opens up public comment window on CA emissions waiver originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 08:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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California ARB approves $700,000 in grants for green tech demos

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 12:08:00 +0000

The California Air Resources Board this week approved $700,000 in grants for demonstration projects to evaluate clean air technology. Advanced Transit Dynamics, Eaton and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District will each receive over $200,000 for projects. Eaton will build a package delivery van using a hydraulic series hybrid system it has developed. Similar systems have also been developed and tested by several other companies. UPS has been running several series hybrid vans for more than two years. Advanced Transit Dynamics will show an active aerodynamic system installed on a class 8 tractor trailer designed to minimize drag. The Sacramento project will use digester gases to consume some of the emissions from a stationary engine fueled by biogas. Companies getting the grants must provide matching funds for at least half the cost of the project with at least 10 percent coming from the grant recipient. [Source: California Air Resources Board ] Auto Blog: Hybrid California ARB approves $700,000 in grants for green tech demos originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 01 Mar 2009 13:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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California ARB approves $700,000 in grants for green tech demos

Arizona’s new governor may abandon California greenhouse gas rules

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:53:00 +0000

There may soon be one less state that uses California’s carbon dioxide emissions standards for motor vehicles: Arizona. Before leaving office, former governor Janet Napolitano (D) issued an executive order requiring the state’s Department of Environmental Quality to adopt the rules that would effectively push fuel economy standards to 44 mpg by 2016. Napolitano has since moved on to become Secretary of Homeland Security in the Obama administration and Republican Jan Brewer is now occupying the governors mansion. Brewer is reconsidering the California rules and it seems likely that either she or the state legislature will rescind the earlier move. Sen. Sylvia Allen, (R) doesn’t think most of her colleagues support the move to adopt the California standard and they want to abandon it before the EPA reverses its original decision to reject California’s waiver application on the rules. This is a move unlikely to be followed by other states that have adopted the California rules. [Source: Arizona Daily Star ] Auto Blog: Legislation and Policy , USA Arizona’s new governor may abandon California greenhouse gas rules originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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Jon Stewart talks to "Two Billion Cars" author Daniel Sperling

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 07:01:00 +0000

Click above and scroll down to watch the video Whether the cheap Tata Nano is the driving force behind a massive upswing in the number of cars actively used in the world or not , the day is coming when there will be two billion cars on the roads. So says author and California Air Resources Board member Daniel Sperling . Sperling was on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart last week to discuss his new book and to give his predictions about which technologies would power these two billion cars. He said that “eventually” the “vast majority” of the two billion cars will be alternative-energy (pure electric, plug-in hybrids, biofueled, and hydrogen fuel cell) vehicles. Yes, that was as specific as he wanted to get on Comedy Central. Sperling also claimed that we’d need “tens of billions” of dollars in government aid to make the large-scale shift to plug-ins and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Stewart, for his part, said that the automakers represent the past, and he wondered why we don’t just let them fiddle with the deck chairs while others get fuel cell and electric vehicles on the road. Watch the full interview after the jump. Bonus history lesson: Sperling has a slightly troubled past . [Source: The Daily Show ] Continue reading Jon Stewart talks to “Two Billion Cars” author Daniel Sperling Auto Blog: Emerging Technologies , EV/Plug-in , Hydrogen , Legislation and Policy , Green Daily Jon Stewart talks to “Two Billion Cars” author Daniel Sperling originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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Jon Stewart talks to "Two Billion Cars" author Daniel Sperling

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Tue, 17 Feb 2009 07:01:00 +0000

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Chicago 2009: Hyundai CEO says Green is Good, Greed is Bad

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:55:00 +0000

Hyundai Motor America CEO and President John Krafcik gave the keynote speech at the Midwest Automotive Media Association’s kickoff breakfast yesterday morning at the Chicago Auto Show . He called his talk “Preparing for a Revolution,” and made a few admissions worth noting. Krafcik declared the “greed is good” era no longer welcome. The excesses that defined the time between the ’80s and 2008ish, “may finally be at a close. The current global economic crisis has paved the way for significant change,” he said. Then there was this: For the most part, our industry has a history of opposing environmental and safety legislation – sometimes with the force of science and good sense behind us, such as the early California EV mandate, but other times with a much weaker platform of defense. Many Americans believe that our fighting these issues is done strictly for own best interests, which run contrary to those of our country’s, and our society’s. As a result, we are painted with a broad brush as bad guys who care little about our own customers and the world we live in. Krafcik believes that the auto industry has earned its “horrible” reputation but they can still turn things around. How will this happen? By owning up to past mistakes and making great, safe vehicles and being more disciplined financially. The other potential savior? Fuel efficiency. Here’s the pertinent quote: Another revolutionary step we can take is to embrace improved fuel economy as an indisputable social good. There’s really no point in arguing about the veracity of climate change when you stop to consider the finite supply of oil, and the turmoil that our present consumption habit is fueling in the Middle East. It’s abundantly clear that improved fuel economy makes sense for our industry and for our country. As an industry, we need to take a longer term view of our environmental strategies. That means stepping up and getting ahead of the regulators where that makes sense. We think that time is now. You can Car Blog Greenthe prepared text of Krafcik’s speech after the jump. [Source: Hyundai] Continue reading Chicago 2009: Hyundai CEO says Green is Good, Greed is Bad Auto Blog: Etc. , Hyundai , Chicago Auto Show Chicago 2009: Hyundai CEO says Green is Good, Greed is Bad originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green

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Proterra touring California with fast-charging electric bus

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 16:46:00 +0000

Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Transportation Alternatives , Lightweight , USA Proterra has begun a 10-city “California Clean Bus Tour” with the unveiling of its EcoRide B35 all-electric transit bus in San Jose. The lightweight, composite-bodied people mover features the 10 minute recharge-capable TerraVolt[TM] Energy Storage System, said to be based around batteries from Altairnano , and motors from UQM Technologies . Its regenerative brakes can recapture up to 90 percent of the vehicle’s kinetic energy and help it achieve a range between 30 and 40 miles. Although, like many alternative drivetrains, it has a higher upfront pricetag than its diesel counterparts, the company estimates the difference can be absorbed well before the end of its expected 12-year life through lower energy and maintenance costs. Proterra also has a plug-in hydrogen fuel cell version of the bus that will begin service in Burbank this Spring. California has a mandate that dictates 15 percent of all buses added to fleets after 2011 be zero-emission vehicles. Founder and CTO of the Golden, Colorado company, Dale Hill says, “”The fact is, emissions free transit is not a ‘nice to have,’ it is a must have for clean, healthy communities across California and the U.S.” Indeed it is, Mr. Hill. Full press release after the break. [Source: Proterra ] Continue reading Proterra touring California with fast-charging electric bus Proterra touring California with fast-charging electric bus originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 08 Feb 2009 17:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green

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Proterra touring California with fast-charging electric bus