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Tetrethyl-lead was used also as a petrol additive in Europe. Marketing of TEL was prohibited by EU 1.1.2000, though many European countries had banned it before that.
U of T researcher suggests decline in dementia may be due to differences in lifetime exposure to lead; role of clean fuel regs
Several studies from the US, Canada, and Europe suggest a promising downward trend in the incidence and prevalence of dementia. However, important risk factors for dementia—such as mid-life obesity and mid-life diabetes—have been increasing rapidly, so the decline in dementia incidence is perple...
According to information (in Swedish) from the bus operator, these busses will use biomethane, not natural gas.
Swedish bus operator orders 8 electric, 42 natural gas Solaris buses
Solaris has signed a contract for the supply of 50 zero-emission and low emission buses to bus operator Vy Buss AB: eight electric buses and 42 natural-gas-fueled units. Ultimately, the bulk of the ordered buses (48 vehicles) will be in operation in Gävle. This Swedish town located at the Gul...
NOx is measured in ppm, but converted in Euro 6 passenger cars to NOx g/km and for heavy duty engines Euro VI in g/kWh, so increased amount of air in bigger deplacement engines is compensated for.
VW: ~5M VW vehicles affected by emissions scandal; working on technical solution; suspension of some employees starting
Volkswagen said that an internal assessment following the revelation of cheating on emissions testing in EA 189 2.0L diesels (earlier post) has concluded that approximately five million Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand vehicles are affected worldwide. In the heat of the initial discovery of the e...
I have driven a VW Passat with 4motion Haldex-4 for 10 years now in Norway. The Haldex engages so fast that I have never had a problem on black ice. The biggest problem with 4wd (haldex or permanent AWD) is that people forget that it does not give you better grip when braking. It shows on the statistics when SUV owners from the cities get out on the icy roads.
Golf SportWagen Alltrack to go onsale in 2016 as 2017 model
Coinciding with the arrival of the all-new Golf SportWagen, currently available in dealer showrooms, Volkswagen http://media.vw.com/release/953/ that the all-wheel-drive Alltrack model will go on sale in 2016 as a 2017 model. (Earlier post.) Technical and visual differences between the Golf Spor...
NEL hydrogen is now the company marketing Norsk Hydro electrolyzer technology. According to their brochure:
Typical power consumption (kWh/Nm3 H2) 3.8 - 4.4
http://www.nel-hydrogen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Efficient_Electrolysers_for_Hydrogen_Production.pdf
New Rutgers non-noble metal catalyst for hydrogen evolution performs as well as Pt in both acid and base
Researchers at Rutgers University have developed a new noble metal-free catalyst—Ni5P4 (nickel-5 phosphide-4)—performing on par with platinum for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in both strong acid and base. The development, the team concludes in a paper published in the RSC journal Energ...
Accoording to FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS:
Roughly one-third of the edible parts of food produced for human consumption, gets lost or wasted globally, which is about 1.3 billion ton per year. Food is wasted throughout the FSC, from initial agricultural production down to final household consumption. In medium- and high-income countries food is to a great extent wasted, meaning that it is thrown away even if it is still suitable for human consumption. Significant food loss and waste do, however, also occur early in the food supply chain. In low-income countries food is mainly lost during the early and middle stages of the food supply chain; much less food is wasted at the consumer level.
http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/suistainability/pdf/Global_Food_Losses_and_Food_Waste.pdf
Study: surface ozone in India in 2005 damaged 6M tonnes of crops, enough to feed 94M people in poverty
Smog in India. Ozone, the main component of smog, is a plant-damaging pollutant formed by emissions from vehicles, cooking stoves and other sources. New research shows that ozone pollution damaged millions of tons of wheat, rice, soybean and cotton crops in India in 2005. Credit: Mark Daniel...
And what power mix has been used for this LCA?
100% solar/wind or 100% coal or something in between? Could not find any information on KIA web, only glossy pictures.
TÜV Nord scores Kia Soul EV as emitting 39.7% fewer whole life GHGs than diesel counterpart
TÜV Nord, an independent technical inspection organization, has certified the new Kia Soul EV according to the ISO 14040 Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) standard. Comparing the Soul EV to its diesel counterpart currently on sale in Europe, TÜV Nord found the electric vehicle scored particularly str...
In Copenhagen two BYD buses have been tested since January. Maximum range on one charge was 325 km, while expected range was 250 km. Those that want to check the power mix in Denmark (real time, including g CO2/kWh) may check out http://www.energinet.dk
Volvo to deliver plug-in hybrid buses w/ fast overhead recharging to Hamburger Hochbahn as part of development partnership
As part of a new development partnership, Volvo Buses will deliver three Volvo Electric plug-in hybrids to Hamburger Hochbahn AG. The electric hybrids will enter into traffic in Hamburg towards the end of the year. Hamburger Hochbahn AG has been a successful and important partner of science a...
The situation is special in Norway, the yellow segment, NOR. When you buy a BEV, there is no VAT, no CO2 tax, no tax on weight or horsepower. An ordinary VW Golf, these are approx 40% of the price. So an e-Golf (115 hp) costs 252000 NOK while a Golf TDI (105 hp) costs 299000 NOK. Diesel is 13 NOK per litre, equivalent to approx 1,3 NOK/kWh, while power at home costs 0,85 NOK/kWh. Charging at public stations are free for BEVs, no road toll (also free ferries, free parking and you are allow to drive in the bus/taxi lane to avoid ques. These benefits will be evaluated in 2017 or there are 50000 BEV registered. 1413 Tesla were registered in March this year, a record number of registrations for one car in one month since start of statistic in 1992.
ZSW: more than 400,000 plug-in cars on road worldwide at beginning of 2014; 2x 2013
Accumulated number of xEVs in leading global markets. Annual growth rate over the past three years is more than 100%. Click to enlarge. At the beginning of 2014, there were more than 400,000 electric cars—battery-electric, plug-in hybrid, and range-extended electric vehicles—on the road wor...
Long term studies on buses in Europe indicate that once the new HD vehicles are not new anymore the DPF and catalysts loose eficiency.
Study finds lubricating oil the dominant source of primary organic aerosol from both diesel and gasoline vehicles
Comparison plot showing mass fractions (Fm) of chemically characterized components of lubricating oils and POA. Credit: ACS, Worton et al. Click to enlarge. Findings from a study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley and Berkeley National Laboratory suggest that lubricati...
@mahonj
Volvo is a Swedish/Chinese company. Both countries have snow cover on the roads part of the year. Besides road lines get worn, especially in countries where studded tires are used during winter
Volvo Car Group tests road-embedded magnets for accurate positioning of self-driving cars
Volvo Car Group has completed a research project using magnets in the roadway to help the car determine its position. A pattern of round ferrite magnets (40x15 mm) was located 200 mm below the road surface. The test car was equipped with several magnetic field sensors. Click to enlarge. Vol...
Norway : 7882 new cars with electric motor in 2013, of total 142 151 new cars in 2013. Average CO2 emmission for new cars in December was 115 g CO2/km
Mitsubishi delivered 8,197 Outlander PHEVs in Europe by end of 2013; 8,009 to The Netherlands
First launched in selected European markets (The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland) in October 2013, Mitsubishi’s Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid) (earlier post) collected more than 12,000 orders in these markets. These orders have already translated into 8,197 deliveries to end-custom...
@HarveyD: in Norway: very high tax when buying an ICE car, based on weight, CO2 emission and horsepower. High tax on fuel, cheap electricity. Free passage on toll roads, allowed to use bus/taxi lanes (important for commuting in the big cities). Free parking for BEV and some places PHEV. Tesla cost about the same as a Mercedes C200. Total car tax pluss Value added tax will be around 35 to 40% of the price tag on the Merc. One liter of diesel is around 13 NOK for the moment, or a around 2,15 USD. That said, based on buying power diesel is actually not expensive in Norway compared with other European countries. Electricity is now around 0,75 NOK/kWh.
Mitsubishi delivered 8,197 Outlander PHEVs in Europe by end of 2013; 8,009 to The Netherlands
First launched in selected European markets (The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland) in October 2013, Mitsubishi’s Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid) (earlier post) collected more than 12,000 orders in these markets. These orders have already translated into 8,197 deliveries to end-custom...
@engineer-poet. Crude glycerol is a very good substrate for biogas production. Upgraded to methane it can be fed directly into the natural gas grid. I think this is a more efficient route.
DEINOVE produces ethanol at 9% titer with its optimized Deinococcus bacteria
DEINOVE, a technology company that designs, develops and markets a new generation of industrial processes based on optimized Deinococci bacteria, has produced ethanol at a titer of 9% via its fermentation of biomass sugars in 20L pre-industrial fermentors. In September 2012, the company had rep...
The press release says the 9% titer is from glucose and in a purely bascis and mineral media. So it is not that remarkable . Earlier they have reported 3% titer from biomass. They still have a number of hurdles to pass.
DEINOVE produces ethanol at 9% titer with its optimized Deinococcus bacteria
DEINOVE, a technology company that designs, develops and markets a new generation of industrial processes based on optimized Deinococci bacteria, has produced ethanol at a titer of 9% via its fermentation of biomass sugars in 20L pre-industrial fermentors. In September 2012, the company had rep...
According to Wikipedia sulfur hexafluoride has a GWP over 100 years of 22 800. Though GWP is normally calculated on kg basis, not on molecular basis as calculated above. What are the correct numbers?
University of Toronto team discovers new long-lived greenhouse gas with GWP of 7,100
Scientists from the University of Toronto have discovered a novel chemical in the atmosphere that appears to be a long-lived greenhouse gas (LLGHG). The chemical—perfluorotributylamine (PFTBA)—is the most radiatively-efficient chemical found to date, breaking all other chemical records for its ...
I cannot see this article is about liquid fuels, but using SNG directly as vehicle fuel. SNG is methane made from coal. Town gas is a mixture of methane, hydrogen and carbon monoxide, there is quite a difference from SNG in gas quality. Not that this in any way seems to improve the environmental issues in China.
Duke study finds China’s synthetic natural gas plants will have heavy environmental toll; 2x vehicle GHG if used for fuel
Coal-powered synthetic natural gas (SNG) plants being planned in China would produce seven times more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional natural gas plants, and use up to 100 times the water as shale gas production, according to a new study by Duke University researchers published in th...
Photosynthetic efficiency is 3 to 6 % and processing furthers reduce the energy yield, while photovoltaics give 10% directly to electric power. What are the economics of algal oil? Why not use the same area for PV
Study finds HTL algal biofuels offer 50-70% lifecycle CO2 reduction compared to petroleum fuels; EROI and GHG comparable to or better than other biofuels
The EROI ratio and GHG emissions/MJ of (a) algae-derived diesel and (b) algae-derived gasoline produced using HTL. The results are benchmarked against commercialized biodiesel or bioethanol as well as petroleum-derived versions of the drop-in fuels. Credit: Liu et al. Click to enlarge. A ne...
In Europe the TDI comes in versions with different HP, which one is this?
Volkswagen Passat TDI sets Guinness World Record for fuel economy around the 48 US states; 78 mpg US
A Volkswagen Passat TDI, produced at the Volkswagen Chattanooga (Tennessee) plant, now has covered 8,122 miles (13,071 km) with record low fuel consumption and within 16 days. The record drive was witnessed by officials of the Guinness World Record Organization. The driver team, hyper-miler W...
In the port of Risavika in Norway, there is a LNG plant 300000 tonne/yr using gas coming in pipe from the North Sea. They deliver LNG directly to ships with LNG engines. LNG from Risavika is supplied by ship to several terminals in Norway and Sweden, and also directly to industry in isolated tanks by trucks.
IMO selects DNV to investigate potential for LNG-fueled shipping in North American ECA
The IMO (International Maritime Organization) has chosen DNV to gather knowledge about the potential of LNG powered international shipping in the North American Emission Control Area (ECA) and identify the necessary conditions for the successful implementation of LNG as a fuel source in the reg...
@ Darius
Alkaline hydrogen electrolyser delivers hydrogen at 15 barg g using 4.9 kWh per Nm3 of H2. With HHV of H2 at 39 kWh/kg and density 0.09 g/L this gives 3.5 kWh/m3
That is 70% efficiency.
E.ON power-to-gas unit injects hydrogen into natural gas system for first time
A power-to-gas (P2G) unit installed by E.ON in Falkenhagen in eastern Germany (earlier post) injected hydrogen into the natural gas system last week for the first time as part of a function test. During the test, which lasted three hours, the unit produced 160 cubic meters of hydrogen, which wa...
But high production of biogas from wastewater would indicate a lot of waste?
Novozymes and Novo Nordisk utilize wastewater to produce biogas
Novozymes and Novo Nordisk have in collaboration installed a 36 meter tall, high-performance biogas reactor that utilizes wastewater from both Novo Nordisk and Novozymes’ large production in Kalundborg for an efficient production of biogas. The biogas reactor—one of the most efficient worldwi...
The Indian company that bought Domsjo pulp and paper plant last year decided that they would not build a full scale DME plant from black liquor due to the risk in investing, demand for biofuels and taxation of these. The pilot plant has been taken over by the Lulea Technical University.
Volvo Trucks to begin limited production of DME heavy-duty trucks in NA in 2015; customer trials; Oberon partnership
Volvo VNL D13 with DME. Click to enlarge. At an event in Sacramento, California, Volvo Trucks announced that it will commercialize dimethyl ether (DME)-powered heavy-duty commercial vehicles in North America, with limited production beginning in 2015. Volvo also revealed ongoing customer fie...
@Harvey.
As far as I can see from going through the NTNU web-site this study was financed by Norwegian hydroelectric power companies and the Research Council of Norway.
@darius.
Norway is not competing with Russia in production of oil and gas, but in exporting. Electric vehicles are not ideal for us if it means increased emissions in other countries producing the cars - there is only one Earth.
I think this is the background for the study! As it is today, electric cars have short range, are small and not suitable as the only car for a Norwegian family. It is nice as a second car due to the taxation, and that you are allowed to use the bus lanes in the major cities, avoiding congestion. Some time there will be so many EV that they will be banned from the bus lanes!
New full LCA highlights complexity of environmental advantages and disadvantages of EVs relative to ICE vehicles; the importance of life cycle thinking
Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) have compared the emissions resulting from the production, use, and end-of-life of electric and internal combustion engine vehicles (EVs and ICEVs) in a full life-cycle analysis (LCA). They found that electric vehicles (EV...
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