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by Jon LeSage, editor and publisher, Green Auto Market 

Here’s my take on the 10 most significant and interesting occurrences during the past week…….

1. Launched last year, NAFA’s Sustainable Fleet Accreditation Program has rolled out of the beta-test phase and has become a distinct system. It’s now being structured on a four-tier rating system that evaluates fleets based on their environmental performance against world-leading goals. During the NAFA I&E conference in Orlando, NAFA Fleet Management Association, in conjunction with CALSTART, announced how the program has been designed to become an industry standard for recognizing concrete improvements in reducing emissions, increasing fuel efficiency, and reducing fuel use. “With this new program, fleets will be able to measure, manage and improve. Fleets start at any level of activity – the point is to start down the path: first by base lining where they are, then by validating their progress, and finally, by benchmarking themselves against rigorous standards and the actions of their peers,” said Bill Van Amburg, CALSTART Senior Vice President. “It is the new measure of fleet sustainability.” The NAFA standard can be applied to fleets of all sizes and types ranging from passenger cars to Class 8 big rigs. CALSTART provided technical assistance and worked with NAFA to develop the standards. To learn more, or to join the program, visit NAFASustainable.org.
2. Big EV announcements from GM: The Chevrolet Spark battery-electric vehicle has a $1,650 price cut and “bonus cash” incentives, at first in California and Oregon, that can cut another $1,000 to $3,500 off the sticker price; with the $7,500 tax credit, the electric Spark can sell for as low as $15,000. Cadillac launched a plug-in hybrid version of the CT6 luxury sedan at the Shanghai Motor Show; it has an adaption of GM’s second-generation Voltec hybrid system. Cadillac has a few more plug-in hybrids in its product pipeline – and did announced that its 2016 Cadillac ELR will have a slightly different powertrain than the CT6 and 2016 Chevrolet Volt; the 2016 ELR will keep its existing 17.1-kilowatt-hour battery pack and 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine but with a lot more horsepower and torque……..
3. SoCalGas is bringing together industry experts, natural gas truck manufacturers, and fleet operators for dinner and discussion on making the switch to natural gas for your truck or fleet of trucks. Topics will include making the business case for natural gas heavy-duty vehicles, natural gas truck refueling, and funding natural gas heavy-duty vehicles. Upcoming events include Inland Empire on May 12 at Riverside Convention Center in Riverside, Calif.; and San Joaquin Valley on May 19 at Hodel’s Country Dining in Bakersfield, Calif. There will be other events in Southern California in July, September, and October. Here’s a link to learn more about the event and to register.
4. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn offered some interesting statements: Nissan plans to raise sales of its electric Leaf to 50,000 units a year from about 30,000 last year, with potential growth in public charging stations driving those anticipated sales. In China – where Nissan operates under the Venucia domestic brand – Ghosn would like to see the government increase incentives to move electric vehicle sales out of the stuck phase.
5. Tesla is waiting to hear whether Maryland Larry Hogan will sign a bill allowing the electric carmaker to sell directly to consumers. The bill was supported by the Maryland Automobile Dealers Association and would allow Tesla up to four licenses; having a cap on the number was enough to gain support from the dealer group. The governor will sign or veto the bill in about a week, or by mid-May, his office said. (In other Tesla news, a book will be coming out next month stating that management was going to sell the company to Google for $6 billion, but pulled the plug after seeing its first profits and stock share prices shoot up.)
6. A very impressive collective of trade groups has been formed to deal with the impending connected car, autonomous vehicle reality. The new Smart Transportation Innovation Coalition includes Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Association of Global Automakers, National Automobile Dealers Association, Information Technology Industry Council (which has Apple, Google, Intel and Microsoft as members), Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association, Intelligent Transportation Society of America, and Intelligent Car Coalition. The group’s main agenda will be educating lawmakers and policymakers about the potential benefits offered by advanced vehicle technologies.
7. It’s been a while, but there’s been another biofuels fraud case being prosecuted by government officials. Joseph Furando of Montvale, NJ, pleaded guilty last week in federal court in Indianapolis to all of the charges he faced, including conspiracy, wire fraud, lying to investigators, and money laundering. Prosecutors said Furando and his executive team face a May trial involving an allegation of about $55 million in illegal profits being generated through the scam.
8. For the third straight year Penske Truck Leasing has been honored by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a SmartWay Affiliate Challenge Award winner. Penske is one of seven organizations across the US to be given the award last week at the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) Capital Ideas and Exhibition Conference in Orlando, Fla. EPA honors organizations for doing an exceptional job in supporting the SmartWay partnership’s freight sustainability goals.
9. Plug-In America is honoring its 10^th anniversary by profiling 10 of its early adopter leaders who had been driving early editions of the Toyota RAV4 electric model and other limited volume electric cars in California; and in more recent times, the very first models of the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt. Among the 10 “pioneers” are Paul Scott and Linda Nicholes who have been very visible at EV events for several years.
10. Allied Specialty Vehicles (ASV), a leading manufacturer of motor vehicles for commercial, fire & emergency and recreation markets, has an exclusive partnership with CleanFUEL USA, an industry leader in propane autogas technology. Under the partnership, CleanFUEL will provide products and services to expand ASV’s line of alternative fuel vehicles, namely propane autogas.
11. Extra: In this week’s Green Auto Market Extended Edition…….. Clean vehicles being recognized as part of 45^th annual Earth Day features coverage of Kelley Blue Book’s “Ten Best Green Cars,” Clean Auto Alliance announcing the first-ever recipients of its Environment & Safety Elite Award, and Cars.com on which cities have the most eco-friendly buyers. Plus, the latest on the US fueling and charging station infrastructure and how much it’s grown in the past year (with one category declining in size). You can read more about it here.

by Jon LeSage, editor and publisher, Green Auto Market 

Here’s my take on the 10 most significant and interesting occurrences during the past week…….

1. Tesla Motors Q4 financial reporting showed sales growth and profit loss. Tesla Motors’ financial performance during 2014 hit both ends of the spectrum. Revenue soared 59% to $3.2 billion for the year while Tesla’s net loss increased to $294 versus a loss of $74 million in 2013. Fourth quarter revenue hit $957 million, up from $615 million from the fourth quarter of 2013. Using Tesla’s preferred non-GAAP accounting method, revenue rose 44% to $1.1 billion. Net losses widened to $108 million in the fourth quarter from $16 million. The company did meet its goal of producing 35,000 vehicles for the year, but did not meet its Model S P85D delivery target. Severe winter weather and shipping problems reduced its number – 1,400 vehicles shipped in December didn’t arrive until the next quarter. There had already been growing concerns about Tesla’s delivery problems based on the brand’s slower-than-expected launch in China, with the company last month confirming demand there was “unexpectedly weak.” Tesla said it ran into concern from potential buyers in China about the lack of charging infrastructure in the country. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has expressed frustration that problems in China have raised with investors, saying that the issue “is being blown way out of proportion.” The company has approached the final stages of development for its Model X crossover. Tesla expects to ship 55,000 Model S and X units in 2015, yielding more than a 70% year-over-year increase in deliveries. Forty percent of the deliveries are expected to take place in the first half of the year. Tesla entered 2015 with over 10,000 Model S orders and nearly 20,000 Model X reservations.
2. This Month in Green Auto Market – Extended Edition: Former biofuels industry leader and Propel Fuels CEO Matt Horton takes on a new role with an electric vehicle manufacturer………. What the new Ford Interceptor Utility means for police departments – and what law enforcement thinks about alternative fuel vehicles………. Monthly figures for hybrid and plug-in sales, alternative fueling stations, and fuel prices……… All this and more for those interested in subscribing to the monthly edition of this newsletter.
3. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded 10 projects teams to deploy 55 low and zero emission fuel cell, battery electric, and electric hybrid buses across the US; 38 of them will be electric or fuel-cell powered. CALSTART will be working with three transit agencies to purchase and deploy 15 of these vehicles: Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) will receive $8,877,405 for five hydrogen fuel cell buses from the Integrated Product Team of Ballard Power Systems, BAE Systems, and ElDorado National; SunLine Transit Agency will receive $9,803,860 to build and deploy five hydrogen electric hybrid fuel cell buses. BAE Systems, Ballard Power Systems and ElDorado National will team up to build the new zero-emission buses; and San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) will receive $4,702,011 and purchase five Proterra battery-electric buses and a charging station. You can read all about it at the FTA site.
4. Canadian company Ballard Power Systems has entered into an $80 million “technology solutions” transaction with Volkswagen that involves transfer of automotive fuel cell intellectual property and a two-year extension of an engineering services contract. Audi will acquire a package of patents from the fuel-cell company that will be applied across all VW Group brands. Along with cars, Ballard produces cells for use in forklifts, buses, and stationary used in distributed power generation.
5. Solar-powered electric car Stella has won the TechCrunch award for biggest technology achievements during the 8th annual “Crunchies Awards.” Stella was up against an impressive list of contenders — Apple Pay, The Block Chain (Bitcoin), Rosetta Mission’s Comet Landing, and SpaceX Lateral Booster. Stella, created by Solar Team Eindhoven from the Eindhoven (Netherlands) University of Technology, has been widely recognized and is gaining support. Partners include National Drive Electric Week, Plug In America, and the Coast to Coast EV Connection project. Stella’s car uses a roof-mounted solar panel that can provide enough power to move the car 500 miles on a full charge of the battery.
6. Agility Fuel Systems, a leading designer and producer of natural gas fuel storage and delivery systems for heavy duty trucks and buses, and Clean Energy Fuels announced a joint CNG fuel system sales program to reduce the incremental cost of heavy-duty natural gas trucks. Agility and Clean Energy will work with trucking customers and offer CNG fuel systems installed at a substantially reduced cost when there is a natural gas fueling agreement. Last year during ACT Expo 2014, Agility announced a joint venture with Hexagon Lincoln to manufacture both a new type of lightweight Type IV CNG fuel cylinder, and the assemblies needed to mount them on heavy duty vehicles.
7. Volkswagen of America says it will invest $10 million to support electric vehicle infrastructure by 2016. During a presentation at the 2015 Electric Drive Congress in Washington, DC, Volkswagen’s Jörg Sommer, vice president, product marketing and strategy, made the announcement during a presentation about the automaker’s approach to e-mobility surrounding the launch of the electric 2015 e-Golf. The automaker would like to see federal financing support for setting up fast-charging networks in urban areas and interstate corridors.
8. Technical support for those repairing hybrids and EVs. I-CAR®,the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, launched the Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Disable Search on the I-CAR Repairability Technical Support (RTS) Portal to build a robust, centralized hub of valuable industry information to give collision repair professionals the answers they need as quickly as possible. Users can find information on how to identify where parts of the hybrid or electric system are located, how to disable the system before beginning a repair, welding best practices, and refinish precautions.
9. UK testing autonomous vehicles. The United Kingdom government has launched a test program for autonomous vehicles in four cities across the country. No major automakers appear to be involved in the test program, and the projects include smaller vehicles such as a pod-like microcar and another test model that looks like an oversize golf cart. The project has the equivalent of about $30 million in government funding.
10. Higher mileage Chevy Volt. Automotive News analyzed what’s behind General Motors increasing the battery-only range on a single charge of the 2016 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid from 38 miles to 50 miles. Some of that improved fuel efficiency comes from reducing its weight 243 pounds from the prior model. Subscribers have access to a chart with popups explaining where those gains were made in the battery pack, engine, and electric transaxle.

by Jon LeSage, editor and publisher, Green Auto Market 

Here’s my take on the 10 most significant and interesting occurrences during the past week…….

1. The Keystone XL pipeline could see a clear decision made this month in Washington. The US Senate last week passed a bill approving the Keystone pipeline, 62 to 36. House Republican leadership would like to vote next week on the Senate’s bill which would allow for a pipeline between Alberta and Houston that would transport refined tar sands oil back to refineries in Canada. It’s been nearly six years that the Canadian government and its oil industry have been pushing to get this through. President Obama may veto the bill while waiting for feedback from the State Department and other federal agencies on the pipeline; the State Department had asked agencies to turn in their feedback comments by the end of yesterday. The final decision from the State Department may be released this month, along with a decision by the White House on whether to support or reject the $8 billion pipeline project.
2. Hyundai will be reducing the price of its Tucson fuel cell vehicle in the home market of South Korea by 43% — bringing it down to the equivalent of $77,189. The challenges are there – besides the high price, there’s only one hydrogen station in South Korea with a second one scheduled to open within the first six months of 2015. The government has set a goal to increase that that number to 200 by 2025. In the US, the Tucson fuel cell model is currently available on a 36-month lease for $499 a month with $2,999 as the down payment. More details on pricing and delivery in global markets is expected to be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show next month.
3. Green Fleet Conference & Expo, which has been in operation since 2008, will change its name to Fleet Technology Expo on Aug. 24-26 of this year in Long Beach, Calif. It’s sponsored by Bobit Business Media’s Automotive Fleet, Green Fleet, and Heavy Duty Trucking The perspective will be wider on fleet operations than the Green Fleet Conference had been focused on. There will be a special track designated for converting to and maintaining an alternative-fuel fleet. Two additional tracks, Fleet Analytics and Heavy Duty, will expand the available education and expo floor offerings.
4. The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) debuted its first-ever logo and brand identify for propane autogas with the phrase, PROPANE AUTOGAS Clean American Energy™. Leaders in the propane industry commissioned PERC to develop a single symbol and identity to solidify propane autogas as the official name of the popular alternative fuel. PERC President and CEO Roy Willis also thinks it will support building a brand that advances propane as an increasingly abundant, American-made energy source.
5. Ford Motor Co. has released its 2015 Alternative Fuel Buyers Guide featuring compressed natural gas, propane autogas, biodiesel, ethanol, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric vehicles. Beyond the available vehicles and their configurations, you can see a list of qualified vehicle modifiers, fleet testimonials, available infrastructure, and incentives.
6. Vincentric worked with Business Fleet magazine on a cost analysis model for fleets deploying electric vehicles. The Smart fortwo Electric had the lowest cost per month at $455 at the three year, 12,250 mile (delivery service – local) and $535 for three year, 16,680 mile (sales driver) intervals. The Chevrolet Spark EV had the lowest cost at $651 per month in the three year, 22,175 mile (delivery service – longer distance) segment. The cost models look at total depreciation, total fuel cost (electric and gasoline), total cost to own, cents per mile, and cost per month.
7. Two car enthusiasts separately caught on camera what appears to be a camouflaged Tesla Model X driving down a test track at the Alameda Airport, near the Oakland Airport, in California. What they thought was the Tesla Model 3 that will be released in 2017 was likely the Model X crossover model that will be coming out later this year. See the video here. One thing is certain – the all-wheel drive dual-motor Model S is now in production, according to Tesla Motors. “Unlike conventional all-wheel drive vehicles that sacrifice fuel efficiency for increased traction, the All-Wheel Drive, Dual Motor Model S provides superior control while actually improving both range and acceleration, even in tough winter conditions,” the company said.
8. “Electric Vehicles and the Grid: Business Opportunities for Vehicle-to-Grid Integration Technologies” is a webinar taking place on Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 2:00 EST. Navigant Research analyst Scott Shepard, Scott Fisher, director for alternative energy at NRG Energy, and Greenlots CEO Brett Hauser, will discuss the market forces and challenges driving the vehicle-grid integration (VGI) sector. Topics for discussion will include the range of V2G business opportunities, stakeholder incentives for technology development and adoption, and regulatory requirements to enable VGI.
9. If you’re bored and looking for something interesting to watch, check out the “insane” button on the Tesla Model S P85D. A Tesla driver shows the passenger what happens when you push the button and both the rear and front engines are engaged at the same time. The Model S shoots off 0 to 60 in three seconds, and you get to see passengers express every type of emotion you can imagine. The video is titled, “Tesla P85D Insane Mode Launch Reactions Compilation – Explicit Version.”
10. A police department in Illinois is saving about $0.61 per gallon equivalent with propane autogas instead of gasoline. Most of these 10 patrol cars being tested on propane drive about 250,000 a year, meaning a significant savings; and the department will be applying for a state rebate program, says Police Chief David Brey of Lake in the Hills, a village in Illinois. The department is working with ICOM North America to convert 10 Chevy Tahoes that range from the 2012 to 2014 model years with ICOM’s bi-fuel system that runs on propane autogas and gasoline.

by Jon LeSage, editor and publisher, Green Auto Market 

Here’s my take on the 10 most significant and interesting occurrences during the past week…….

1. GM’s new green dealer program: For GM dealers looking to attract car shoppers who are searching for fuel-efficient vehicles from environmentally responsible companies, pay attention to the Green Dealer Recognition Program. Participating dealers in the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac brands in the US are participating in the program to earn the credential. That comes from energy reduction, renewable energy use, water conservation, recycling, community outreach, and setting up onsite nature habitats, according to General Motors. GM has been recognized for its corporate sustainability initiatives, and this program ties into goals to reduce its environmental footprint and green its supply chain. Dealers are joining the program voluntarily and are encouraged to build a network for sharing best practices.
2. More clean transportation funding: US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz last week announced that $55 million will be available to develop and deploy vehicle technologies that strengthen the clean energy economy. Funded projects will include advanced batteries and electric drive research and development, lightweight materials, advanced combustion engines, and alternative fuel technologies. The Dept. of Energy will support projects to reduce the price and improve the efficiency of electric vehicles, alternative fuel, and conventional vehicles. About that time, California Energy Commission (CEC) announced granting about $12 million through its Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program. About $11.2 million will go to natural gas vehicles and will be administered through University of California, Irvine. In a separate announcement, the Luskin Center at University of California, Los Angeles, said that its’ won two project grants from CEC. The first project through Luskin Center’s Southern California Plug-In Electric Vehicles Readiness Plan will take on bringing more charging stations to multi-unit dwellings. The second project teams with UC San Diego, San Diego Gas and Electric and others to manage solar energy in tandem with workplace electric vehicle batteries.
3. Green Car Journal presented its second round of green vehicle awards at the Washington Auto Show. The Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel won Green SUV of the Year, the BMW i8 took Luxury Green Car, and the Ford F-150 won Green Car Technology for its new design including using aluminum reducing the truck’s weight by about 700 pounds. The i8 beat out the Tesla Model S, Cadillac ELR, Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid, and the Audi A8TDI. In a separate competition, the 2015 Ford F-150 took the top prize in the Automotive Science Group’s (ASG) fourth annual life-cycle study. According to ASG, the F-150 holds the smallest life-cycle carbon footprint and lowest cost of ownership of any full-size truck in the North American market today.
4. Last week, Ford opened the doors of its new Research and Innovation Center (RIC) in Palo Alto, Calif., aimed at technologies and experiments in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, customer experience, and data analytics. The automaker has formed an alliance with Stanford University, creating the Fusion Hybrid Autonomous Research Vehicle for testing by engineers. Dragos Maciuca, an experienced engineer from Apple, has joined Ford to serve as senior technical leader at RIC Palo Alto; additional hiring plans will support Ford in meeting its goal of having one of the largest automotive research teams in Silicon Valley.
5. Renewable energy expert Craig Shields just had his fourth book published, Bullish on Renewable Energy: Fourteen Reasons that Clean Energy Investors Can’t Lose. While his first three books featured interviews with experts in science, the regulatory environment and business realities, this book comes from original writing and is surprisingly optimistic: “The battle has been won. The forces of market economics are in the process of changing so rapidly that planet Earth is headed for a clean energy future far faster than anyone could have predicted.”
6. Connecticut may allow sales of Tesla vehicles: Connecticut originally rejected Tesla stores as a violation of its law banning automakers from operating their own dealerships, but that may be changing. If the law is altered, Connecticut will join Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Nevada, and Pennsylvania in legalizing Tesla direct sales (sometimes with restrictions). Tesla has been banned from Arizona, Michigan, Texas, and Virginia; and is limited to one store in Colorado, and was forced to close its two stores in New Jersey last year.
7. NGVAmerica just released a study making a strong case for natural gas vehicles. The study looked at world crude oil prices on an historical perspective along with energy forecasts. Natural gas has been much more stable and low-priced than gasoline and diesel for decades. That makes a compelling case for bringing in natural gas vehicles by commercial and government fleets; transportation costs represent a large share of their budgets, so the need to predictably plan fleet acquisitions and fueling is critical.
8. More electric car news: Porsche will roll out the long-anticipated Pajun sedan, but only as an electric model. Plans have been dropped to roll out gasoline and diesel versions. The sporty sedan will go head-to-head with the Tesla Model S. Chevrolet will be bringing its Spark EV to Maryland this spring, its first East Coast entry and third state overall – following California and Oregon in 2013. Maryland is a “strong commuter market” with relatively widespread charging infrastructure, General Motors said in a statement.
9. Goodbye nuclear, hello hydrogen: Toyota will be spending 45.2 billion yen ($385 million) on fuel cell vehicle subsidies and hydrogen stations before the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. It’s part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s strategy to move the nation away from reliance on nuclear power following its March 2011 disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Japan’s capital will build 35 stations to fuel hydrogen-based fuel cell vehicles and is in negotiations with Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. to put 6,000 hydrogen cars on its roads by 2020.
10. BMW and Volkswagen have formed an alliance with ChargePoint to build 100 DC fast charger stations along bi-coastal routes. The West Coast route will stretch from Portland to San Diego, while the East Coast route will run from Boston to Washington, D.C. The chargers will be spaced at intervals of 50 miles or less, to alleviate driver range anxiety.

by Jon LeSage, editor and publisher, Green Auto Market 

Here’s my take on the 10 most significant and interesting occurrences during the past week…….

1. It’s hard to tell how seriously luxury and sports car buyers are taking plug-in technology. Automotive News just placed the Cadillac ELR plug-in hybrid at the top of its “blunders of 2014” list. Cadillac was taken to task for pricing the car at $75,995 and only selling 1,192 units since its introduction at the beginning of 2014. The styling may have “surprised the world,” but the pricing took it out of consideration for anyone likely to buy one, said Aaron Bragman, Cars.com’s Detroit bureau chief. Tesla Motors may be down in sales on its Model S luxury all-electric car. com and Baum and Associates reported 1,450 units sold in November while InsideEVs reported 1,200 – down from September and October 2014 sales numbers. Tesla doesn’t report those numbers until its quarterly reports come out, but sales may be down and its stock price has dropped lately. One the other side of the coin, German automakers are still taking the Tesla competition seriously and plan to roll out a series of direct competitors between 2018 and 2021 with the Model S and future Tesla products. These new vehicle launches from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche will be priced between $65,000 to more than $125,000 – and represent a total investment of about $7.5 billion for these German automakers. Fisker Automotive and its Wanxiang Group owner will be watching all of it closely as the Karma rolls out again. Analysts, stock traders, and investors will need to have a few questions answered. How much are car buyers/lessees willing to spend on luxury, sporty electric cars? What would it take to get these high-income consumers to take these technologies seriously?
2. Will the US rollback on the 54.5 mpg fuel economy standard by 2025 during the 2017 midterm review? Will declining gasoline prices force the issue? Not necessarily, according to an analysis piece in WardsAuto. Automakers are globalizing their vehicle technologies and emissions regulations in key markets are ruling out allowing for major changes. Europe isn’t backing off its tough CO2 emissions rules. Making changes strictly for the U.S. market could end up costing more money than it would save.
3. Navigant Research thinks global carbon emissions standards will be serious enough to mean that by 2017, over half of all vehicles sold globally in 2017 will be powered by technologies other than conventional gasoline engines. Electrified transportation and alternative fuels will continue to grow, but gasoline will continue to be the leading fuel in year ahead; many of the fuel economy gains will come through fuel-efficient technologies such as smaller engines and turbocharging. Incremental improvements in engines and transmissions, and vehicle weight reduction in as many places as possible, will play into meeting those targets.
4. The California Energy Commission (CEC) is offering $4 million for Applied Research and Development projects “that will advance technologies and strategies for smart and efficient charging and vehicle-to-grid communication interfaces that will provide maximum benefits to both the electricity grid and the plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) market.” The project is aiming to encourage EV drivers to charge when grid demand is low and/or renewable energy sources are abundant. CEC will host a workshop on its PON-14-310 (program opportunity notice) in Sacramento on Jan. 7, 2015. Final applications are due Feb. 6, 2015.
5. The US Department of Energy (DOE) will be hosting a meeting at its Washington, DC headquarters on Feb. 25, 2015, to create a five-year strategic plan for Clean Cities. It’s been five years since such a meeting has happened, joining together Clean Cities Coordinators, DOE staff, national laboratories, and energy and transportation experts. It’s part of supporting Clean Cities’ national goal of displacing 2.5 billion gallons of petroleum per year by 2020.
6. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been tweeting about a company announcement – the Roadster will be able to travel nearly 400 miles on a single charge, up from about 245 miles. That will come from a new prototype package the company calls Roadster 3.0 with an improved lithium ion battery that provides 31% more energy. Range extension will also be supported by a retro-fitted aero kit to improve the vehicle’s coefficient of drag, and low-resistance tires that are 20% better than their previous version on the Roadster.
7. Royal Dutch Shell’s joint venture in Brazil, Raízen, will be spending close to $1 billion on “second generation” ethanol plants in that country. Brazil’s largest ethanol producer will invest in eight plants before 2024 to increase biofuel output up to 50% to produce biofuel from sugarcane waste. This is happening as several Brazilian ethanol producers have been struggling to stay open – and it could represent more confidence in second generation, advanced biofuels.
8. It looks like California’s regulatory standards on self-driving cars will be delayed. The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced it will miss a state Senate deadline to establish public regulations for autonomous vehicles by Jan. 1, 2015. Safety concerns are the main reason for the delay; possible regulations will be discussed at a public workshop in Sacramento in late January. In the meantime, DMV will be gathering feedback from industry, academic, and industry groups. There’s much interest on what California does in the absence of federal safety standards or independent organizations testing the safety of these vehicles.
9. Greenbelt Resources was chosen as the “Best Biofuels and Biochemicals Solution” in The New Economy Magazine’s 2014 Clean Tech Awards. The company’s modular small-scale organic waste recycling technology converts food-based waste into consumable products and renewable energy. PortTech Los Angeles had named Greenbelt Resources as one of the top 10 clean technology startups for 2014.
10. China’s southern city of Shenzhen, located next to Hong Kong, has become the latest city to cap new vehicle sales to control smog and traffic congestion. Shenzhen has capped new vehicle license plates at 100,000 a year with an annual quote of 20,000 electric vehicles (which can be adjusted for changes in traffic, air pollution, and car demand). The city follows similar policies enacted at other Chinese municipalities setting quotas on new vehicles: Beijing, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Tianjin.

by Jon LeSage, editor and publisher, Green Auto Market 

Here’s my take on the 10 most significant and interesting occurrences during the past week…….

1. As AltCar Expo reminded me and colleagues last week, going to one of these events is worth all the investment of time and money. It’s great to connect with others and build relationships necessary to move forward on the regulatory front and in getting the word out on innovative vehicles, fuels, and technologies; and to stay current on issues looming up on the horizon. As for what’s coming up next, here are four events to consider:  Odyssey – National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day launches on Oct. 17, 2014. Odyssey is a biennial event from the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC) at West Virginia University and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities. Events are held across the country and sometimes on other days, and are designed to bring national attention to alternative fuel vehicles and advanced technology vehicles as a cleaner and more efficient choice for transportation. For those in Southern California looking for an Odyssey event, consider attending Wings Wheels and Rotors Expo on Sunday, Oct. 26, at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, Calif.  Long Beach Clean Cities will have a booth there (where I’ll be tabling for a couple of hours). In other events…… For North American Green Fleet Forum & Green Fleet Expo in Sacramento, the early bird discount deadline is October 1st for the 50% off the two day registration for all events, tours, and NAFTC Petroleum Reduction Training. The conference will be held on Oct. 15-16……. Two other clean transportation events to consider:  Green Fleet Conference & Expo is Oct. 29-30 in Schaumburg, Ill. Natural Gas Vehicle Conference & Expo will be held Nov. 11-14 in Kansas City, Mo.
2. Mercedes-Benz r&d chief Thomas Weber said that every M-B model will have a plug-in hybrid version in the next few years. This happened at a press conference for the automaker’s first plug-in hybrid, the S550 plug-in hybrid. As for other cars, it will cover the C class, E class, and replacements for the GLK class that will be called the GLC class and for the M class that will be called the GLE class. Timing hasn’t been released on the entire lineup yet, but Weber said 10 plug-in hybrids would be launched by 2017.
3. Electric trucks just lost another OEM – Boulder Electric Vehicle has closed down its production facilities in Lafayette, Colo., and Chatsworth, Calif. The company isn’t filing for bankruptcy and will be around to service vehicles that are in use with fleets primarily in Los Angeles, Texas, New York, and Chicago.
4. California Gov. Jerry Brown just signed bills that should help boost electric vehicle sales. The Charge Ahead California Initiative, introduced by Sen. Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) has set the goal of seeing one million zero emission and near zero emission vehicles on the roads by Jan. 1, 2023; one way this will be supported is making the vehicles more affordable for low-income neighborhoods. The state Air Resources Board has been directed to draft a financial plan to hit the one million target while making sure that disadvantaged communities can participate. The clean-vehicle rebate program will provide an extra credit for low-income drivers; it will also provide assistance on using carsharing programs and installing charging stations in apartment buildings in those communities. Carpool lane stickers will be increasing through AB 2013 by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance). It raises the cap on the Green Sticker program for electric vehicles from 55,000 to 70,000 new cars.
5. Fisker Automotive’s owner Wanxiang Group is going to speed up re-launch of the Fisker Karma. Wanxiang will be using a design from the company’s last year of production in 2012 for reintroduction of the plug-in hybrid sports car by next year.
6. The Union of Concerned Scientists say that electric vehicles (EVs) are doing good – in much of the country, they’re cleaner in emissions per miles driven than even the best of the hybrids. However, the group said that EVs are cleaner than hybrids in only 45% of the country. The reason for that conclusion: the majority of the electricity used to charge the vehicles was generated at coal-fired power plants.
7. Tesla Motors took more action on legal battles with dealers. In New Jersey, Tesla filed in court arguing that New Jersey regulators don’t have the authority to shut down its direct sales. That goes against an April ruling by the New Jersey Vehicle Commission blocking sales at Tesla stores in New Jersey as of April 15, 2014, when their licenses expired. In Massachusetts, Tesla says that the high court’s recent ruling supports the automaker’s central argument about its right to set up retails stores and sell its electric vehicles directly to consumers. Dealer groups say that a ban on factory stores still exists despite the court’s ruling.
8. Propane use continues to expand as more public transportation fleets adopt it along with school bus fleets. Six US-based public transit fleets received awards last week from Metro Magazine and Propane Education & Research Council during BusCon Expo in Indianapolis. A Canadian bus operator has also joined the propane autogas community. Southland Transportation Ltd, which operates school, charter, and specialized buses in Alberta and Saskatchewan, has taken delivery of 101 new Vision propane-powered school buses from Blue Bird Corp.
9. A German court lifted the ban on Uber. The leading ridesharing company and its drivers had been banned from Germany. The temporary injunction had been imposed by the court at the end of last month before a hearing could be held.
10. California just issued 29 permits for testing self-driving cars in the state on public roads. Audi was proud to receive the first two of them, but 25 of them went to Google Inc. for testing 25 adapted Lexus SUVs. Two more went to Mercedes-Benz. Audi has taken a lead on test programs, being the first to be granted a permit in Nevada, and the first to test Florida’s “connected car” expressway.