Electric Vehicles


NASA Awards Historic Green Aviation Prize

NASA has awarded the largest prize in aviation history, created to inspire the development of more fuel-efficient aircraft and spark the start of a new electric airplane industry.

Study Finds Benefits of Plug-in Vehicles Depend on Battery Size

Carnegie Mellon University's Jeremy J. Michalek and co-authors report that plug-in vehicles with small battery packs and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) that don't plug in can reduce life cycle impacts from air emissions and enhance oil security at low or no additional cost over a lifetime.

Energy Department Promotes Electric Vehicles in 24 States,Trains Workforce for Advanced Vehicle Development

DOE announces 16 projects supporting activities in 24 states and the District of Columbia to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in communities across the nation, and seven additional projects in seven states to help prepare college students for careers designing and building advanced vehicle technologies.

Researchers Testing Promising New Nanomaterial for Hydrogen Storage

The new material can store and release hydrogen extremely fast and at low temperatures compared with similar materials, and it's rechargeable. These attributes could make it ideal for use in onboard hydrogen storage for next-generation hydrogen or fuel cell vehicles.

New Propulsion Design Challenges Current Efficiencies of Light Airplanes

A team of students from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University demonstrated a first in aviation history.

University of Houston Tests Local Buses for Fuel Efficiency

It seems fuel economy is on everyone's minds these days. The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, with its large bus fleet, is no exception.

Altair ProductDesign Unveils the World's First Series Hydraulic Hybrid Transit Bus

BUSolutions LCO-140H to revitalize urban transit by increasing fuel economy by 110 percent and reducing 12-year fleet operations cost by $50 million for the average sized transit authority.

Lithium Battery Performance May Get a Boost from Algae

By looking to Mother Nature for solutions, researchers have identified a promising new binder material for lithium-ion battery electrodes that could not only boost energy storage, but also eliminate the use of toxic compounds now used in manufacturing the components.



World's Smallest Electric Motor Made From a Single Molecule

Chemists at Tufts University's School of Arts and Sciences have developed the world's first single molecule electric motor, a development that may potentially create a new class of devices that could be used in applications ranging from medicine to engineering.

High Ozone Levels in Midwest Could Depress Soybean Yields

Satellite views of the Midwestern United States show that ozone levels above 50 parts per billion (ppb) along the ground could reduce soybean yields by at least 10 percent, costing more than $1 billion in lost crop production, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists.

Green Mail Delivery Saves Postal Service Millions

Delivering more than 40 percent of the world's mail and reaching every business and residential address in America six days a week requires the dependable, ubiquitous vehicle fleet of the U.S. Postal Service.

Researchers at UC-Irvine Produced Fuel from Sewage

Imagine being able to get the equivalent of 70 miles per gallon in your car, keep your home cool and power your computer – all from sewage. Thanks to technology developed by University of California-Irvine’s National Fuel Cell Research Center and partners, that’s now possible.

Smart EV Charging Will Require Utilities to Invest in Cybersecurity Systems

A report forecasts that the EV cybersecurity market will increase from just $26 million in 2011 to $144 million by 2015, with a cumulative investment of $432 million during that period.

Reversing E. Coli's Metabolism Produces Biofuels, Chemicals at Rapid Clip

Rice University engineering researchers unveiled a new method for rapidly converting simple glucose into biofuels and petrochemical substitutes

Researchers Find High Energy Output From Algae-Based Fuel But No 'Silver Bullet'

Algae-based fuel is one of many options among the array of possible future energy sources. New University of Virginia research shows that while algae-based transportation fuels produce high energy output with minimal land use, their production could come with significant environmental burdens.

Washington Redskins' FedEx Field Gets Solar 'Skin'

The Washington Redskins announced they are working with NRG Energy, one of America’s largest energy companies, to bring renewable energy to the football franchise.

White House Announces Fuel-Efficiency Standards for Heavy Duty Trucks, Buses

Under the comprehensive new national program, trucks and buses built in 2014 through 2018 will reduce oil consumption by a projected 530 million barrels and greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution by approximately 270 million metric tons.

Michigan Researchers See Plentiful Lithium Resources for Electric Vehicles

Researchers from the University of Michigan and Ford Motor Co. have assessed the global availability of lithium and compared it to the potential demand from large-scale global use of electric vehicles.

Automakers Will Have to Meet 54.5 MPG Fuel Efficiency Standard By 2025

Building on the agreement for model year 2012-2016 vehicles, which will raise fuel efficiency to 35.5 mpg, the next round of standards will require performance equivalent to 54.5 mpg or 163 grams/ mile of CO2 for cars and light-duty trucks by model year 2025.

Detroit Metro Airport Installing Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

DTE Energy, a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide, recently announced that it will install four Plug-in Electric Vehicle charging stations at Detroit Metro Airport – part of a program to deploy 16 such public charging stations throughout Southeastern Michigan.