Renewable Energy News / * Green Car Congress™

Volkswagen Group joins collaboration for responsible sourcing of strategic minerals using blockchain; focus on cobalt

April 18, 2019

By mmillikin Volkswagen has joined an open industry collaboration for the responsible sourcing of strategic minerals that will use blockchain technology to increase efficiency, sustainability and transparency in global mineral supply chains. Ford Motor Company, Huayou Cobalt, IBM, LG Chem and RCS Global announced the collaboration earlier this year. (Earlier post.) Joining the collaboration will…

VW of America to gauge US appetite for MQB-based Tarok pickup concept at NY show

April 15, 2019

By mmillikin Volkswagen of America (VoA) plans to show the Tarok pickup concept for the first time in the US at the New York International Auto Show. This compact unibody pickup was first seen at the São Paulo International Motor Show at the end of 2018 and is expected to enter production for the South…

Volkswagen unveils ID. ROOMZZ electric SUV concept in Shanghai; series model in 2021

April 14, 2019

By mmillikin Volkswagen is expanding its electric ID. product range with a multi-variable all-round model: the new ID. ROOMZZ—a zero-emission SUV in the five meter category. Volkswagen will present the concept car as part of a world première at Auto Shanghai (18 to 26 April) in an homage to China, currently the largest market for…

ZF introduces coPILOT system for next-gen ADAS powered by ZF ProAI and NVIDIA DRIVE; “Level 2+” system

April 12, 2019

By mmillikin ZF announced ZF coPILOT, an intelligent advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) leading to enhanced safety and driving comfort opportunities. Leveraging the power of AI and equipped with a comprehensive sensor set, vehicles can perform various automated driving functions, especially on freeways. In addition, ZF coPILOT can be operated with voice commands and is…

Ford partnering with Solid Power to develop solid-state batteries for next-gen EVs

April 11, 2019

By mmillikin Ford Motor Company is teaming up with Solid Power (earlier post) to develop all solid-state batteries (ASSB) for next-generation electric vehicles. The announced partnership will focus on further developing ASSBs toward automotive requirements. Solid Power’s solid-state technology combines a cathode, metallic lithium anode, and a safe, inorganic solid electrolyte layer. Solid-state batteries offer…

Mercedes-Benz to supply 56 electric urban buses to Wiesbaden; shifting to solid-state battery packs in 2020

April 10, 2019

By mmillikin The public transport company ESWE Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH from Wiesbaden in Germany’s Hesse region has ordered 56 Mercedes‑Benz eCitaro electric urban buses. With this commission, the city of Wiesbaden is switching a fifth of its bus fleet to electromobility within a short period of time. As a provider of comprehensive electromobility solutions, Mercedes‑Benz also…

BMW signs agreement with DXC Technology to accelerate driverless car development via D3 platform

April 8, 2019

By mmillikin IT services company DXC Technology signed an agreement to support BMW’s autonomous vehicle development via the High Performance D3 platform. (Earlier post.) DXC provides services that help deliver and simplify data analysis and algorithmic training to reduce the time and cost to develop autonomous vehicles. The BMW Group High Performance D3 platform supports…

Mercedes-Benz Cars lays foundation for a battery factory at the Untertürkheim site

April 5, 2019

By mmillikin At the site of the Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant in Germany, the construction of the battery factory at the Brühl sub-plant has begun with the symbolic foundation-laying ceremony. By the end of the decade, Mercedes-Benz Cars will produce high-efficiency traction batteries for future Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles of the EQ product and technology brand on…

Volkswagen Group and Chinese manufacturer Ganfeng sign memorandum of understanding for long-term lithium supplies

April 5, 2019

By mmillikin The Volkswagen Group and Ganfeng Lithium Co., Ltd. (GFL) registered in Jiangxi (China) have signed a memorandum of understanding on long-term lithium supplies for battery cells. Under the agreement, Ganfeng will supply lithium to the Volkswagen Group and its suppliers for the next ten years. Volkswagen is thus already securing a significant share…

Public transport company VHH orders 16 Mercedes-Benz eCitaro electric buses; longer-range packs

April 4, 2019

By mmillikin The public transport company Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein (VHH) in Germany has ordered 16 units of the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro electric city bus. The buses are expected to be delivered at the end of 2019. For the first time the buses features twelve battery packs with total capacity of 292 kWh. This results in a long…

Volkswagen testing highly-automated driving in Hamburg; 5 specially equipped e-Golfs

April 3, 2019

By mmillikin Volkswagen Group Research is testing automated vehicles in urban traffic in Hamburg. This is the first time Volkswagen has begun to test automated driving to Level 4 at real driving conditions in a major German city. A fleet of five specially equipped e-Golfs will drive on a three-kilometer section of the digital test…

More people in the vehicle means less fuel use per person: Comparing SUVs and cars

April 2, 2019

By mmillikin by Michael Sivak. Compared with cars, SUVs consume more energy per vehicle mile. Consequently, SUVs emit more carbon dioxide per vehicle mile than do cars. However, in the United States, the typical occupancy is higher for SUVs than for cars. The issue of interest in this study was the resultant energy usage per…

AVL, TÜV SÜD and NVIDIA working to standardize validation of autonomous vehicles using NVIDIA DRIVE Constellation simulation

April 1, 2019

By mmillikin AVL, TÜV SÜD and NVIDIA are working to develop a simulation test suite and standardized procedures for autonomous vehicle validation. TÜV SÜD and AVL have created an initial set of testing measures for manufacturers of automated driving systems, running them on the NVIDIA DRIVE Constellation simulation platform. Though traffic accidents happen daily, it…

Siemens to be integration partner for Volkswagen Industrial Cloud

March 29, 2019

By mmillikin The Siemens technology group will be the integration partner for the Volkswagen Industrial Cloud. (Earlier post.) Volkswagen and Amazon Web Services (AWS) earlier this week announced the development of the Industrial Cloud; in the future, the Volkswagen Industrial Cloud will combine the data of all machines, plants and systems from all 122 facilities…

Daimler and Geely Holding form global JV for smart; new generation of electric models

March 28, 2019

By mmillikin Daimler AG and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group , the German and Chinese automotive groups, have formed a 50-50 globally focused joint venture to own, operate and further develop smart, the pioneer of small urban vehicles, as a leader in premium-electrified vehicles. Under the joint venture agreement, a new generation of smart electric models…