There will be seven Cryobox® units, developed and patented by Galileo, to feed with LNG the tanks of the “López Mena”, the world´s first high speed passenger RO-RO ship, which will daily cross the Río de la Plata between Argentina and Uruguay. It will also be the first time that a sea transportation company, such as Buquebus, becomes its own self supplier of a fuel.

“The integration of Cryobox® Galileo’s technologies in this challenge will demonstrate that LNG is the most suitable and cleanest power alternative for long-haul trucks; delivery fleets; buses; ships, barges and ferries; and railroad locomotives, when long distances should be covered, even when the odds of refueling are widely scattered. Since LNG has a superior energetic density than any other diesel substitute, it is possible to charge more fuel to cover longer distances in the same tank,” said Osvaldo del Campo, CEO of Galileo.

Cryobox® nano LNG station offers a cost effective solution, characterized by a high-pressure thermodynamic cycle that converts natural gas into liquid by cooling its temperature below -153 °C. Having a customizable LNG production capacity, it can reach a peak of 12 tpd (tons per day) or 7,000 gpd (gallons per day). It is a small-scaled mobile and packaged LNG production plant, which is ready to be shipped anywhere on a trailer for its immediate start-off.

Operating together, the seven Cryobox® nano stations commisioned by Buquebus will be able to produce 84 tpd or 49,000 gpd of LNG and then trucked from the surroundings of Buenos Aires to the Buquebus’ wharf.

Developed in Australia by Incat Tasmania Pty Ltd, the “López Mena” is the first high speed craft built under the British Code of Safety for High-Speed Craft (HSC code) powered by Gas Turbines using LNG as the primary fuel and marine distillate for standby and ancillary use.

Source: Galileo

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Rep. Judy Chu Hosts 4th Annual Women of Distinction Awards

San Marino, CA – On Saturday, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) recognized outstanding women from the 27th Congressional District during her fourth annual Women of Distinction Awards in Huntington Library in San Marino.

The event honored women entrepreneurs, volunteers, civil servants and a female Olympian, all from the San Gabriel Valley. The 16 honorees represent the 16 cities in the 27th Congressional District. Each honoree was chosen from nominations submitted by members of their communities.

“No words can describe the contributions that all sixteen of these amazing women have made to our community in the San Gabriel Valley and to the world at large,” said Rep. Chu. “From competing for our nation on the global stage, to advocating for those with developmental disabilities, to representing the cutting edge of entrepreneurial achievement, each one has had a profound impact on the world around them. Most importantly, all overcame tremendous obstacles in their careers, proving themselves to be wonderful role models for others who aspire to their success. I thank each of this year’s 16 Women of Distinction for their contributions, and urge them to continue being a shining beacon of inspiration for women and girls in our district and around the world.”

Enid Joffe (Community Leader in Clean Energy)

Enid Joffe (Community Leader in Clean Energy) Enid Joffe would tell you that her claim to fame is that she hired former Labor Secretary Hilda Solis for her first job out of college. At the time, Ms. Joffe was working at United Way and she hired Hilda Solis to help with outreach to the Hispanic community. But of course, Ms. Joffe’s accomplishments extend far beyond hiring the former Labor Secretary.

Ms. Joffe found her passion when she started working on charging technology for electric cars almost two decades ago. In 1999, Ms. Joffe co-founded her company Clean Fuel Connection to provide infrastructure sales, installation, service and consulting support for electric and natural gas vehicles. In 2002, the industry experienced a severe downturn. But Ms. Joffe is not the type to call it quits when things get rough. The determined Ms. Joffe and her company persevered. And in just 14 short years after the company’s founding, Ms. Joffe’s company has annual revenue of over $4 million.

Before Ms. Joffe started her company, she expanded her knowledge of the clean energy industry by working as the manager of charging infrastructure for Edison EV where she worked with local, state, and federal governments on policy issues related to electric vehicles. In this role, she also managed activities to obtain incentives for electric vehicle infrastructure and coordinated sales of public charging stations to government and public sector organizations.
Besides her pioneering work in the clean energy industry, Ms. Joffe was also active in her community. She was first elected to the Sierra Madre City Council in April of 2004
, and served as mayor from 2007 to 2008. In the non-profit sector, Ms. Joffe served on the board of West San Gabriel Valley YMCA from 1990 to 1993 and served as the president of the Rosemead Kiwanis Club from 1992 to 1993. Ms. Joffe received her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Barnard College. In addition, Ms. Joffe also received a master’s in sociology and an MBA from UCLA.

Full bios of each Woman of Distinction can be found here.

Los Angeles, Calif. (April, 2013) – The Petersen Automotive Museum is hosting its first public alternative fuels seminar titled “Why Alt Fuels Now” on April 18, 2013.

The event will include a public Alternative Fuel Vehicle Showcase on-site from 10:00a.m. to 5:00p.m which will highlight a variety of types of vehicles and alternative fuels. The day, which features a public symposium and an alternative fuel technology display, will explore the driving forces, such as  high gasoline prices, increased consumer and corporate environmental awareness and the emergence of new technology that have created a “perfect storm” for alternative fuel vehicles.

The seminars, which run from 1:00p.m. – 5:00p.m. with a reception following, will feature three different panel presentations and discussions. Register for the Symposium in advance or on the day of the event and receive FREE admission to the Alt Fuel Symposium, the Alt Car Showcase, the Petersen Automotive Museum on Thursday, April 18. Visit the Petersen’s website to register.

Panel topics include:

• Infrastructure and Policy: The issues of the alternative fuel infrastructure will be discussed by industry leaders such as the California Energy Commission, Clean Cities Coalition, Southern California Edison, Chesapeake Energy and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
• Manufacturing: Representatives from various vehicle and equipment OEMs will speak out about how they have adapted to the economic and environmental situation in recent years and what their plans for further development are, with speakers including Chrysler, Ford, Honda and 3M.
• Fleets: Alternative fuel fleet operators and technology providers in the public and private sector will speak about the challenges and benefits of utilizing various fuel technologies in their fleets. Speakers include Venchurs CNG, Roush CleanTech, Prime Time Shuttle, and the L.A. County Office of Sustainability.

“To stay relevant in the ever changing automotive industry, we host programs, lectures and workshops that speak to the current and future state of the automobile in America and the world,” said Clayton Drescher, Education Manager at the Petersen. “To that end we are putting together this alternative fuel symposium, which we plan to make an annual event. Alternative fuel is gaining popularity among fleets and individuals alike, and we aim to be a vital educational resource for the public so they can stay current on developing alt fuel technology.”

For more information visit http://www.petersen.org/visit/museum-events/alt-fuels-symposium.

The Petersen Automotive Museum Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational institution.  The Museum is located at 6060 Wilshire Boulevard (at Fairfax) in Los Angeles, California 90036.  Admission prices are $12 for general admission adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for students with ID, $3 for children ages 5 to 12. Museum members, active military with ID and children under five are admitted free. Vault tours are available for an additional $25, and are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Parking is free for the first 30 minutes and $2.00 each additional 30 minutes. One hour validation with purchase of $20 or more in the Museum Store or Johnny Rockets located in the museum lobby.  Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 6pm. For general Museum information, call 323/930-CARS or visit the Museum’s Web site at: www.petersen.org.

Nissan says that this state-of-the-art facility sets new standards for quality, efficiency and environmental impacts, as it is capable of reducing energy consumption by 30 percent, carbon emissions by 30 percent and volatile organic compound (VOCs) emissions by 70 percent.

One very important innovation is that all three layers of paint and primer are applied in succession, before the vehicle goes into the oven.

“Nissan is committed to increase energy efficiency as we reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing the highest quality vehicles sold in North America,” said Susan Brennan, Nissan’s vice president of manufacturing in Smyrna. “These efforts align with our global strategies of zero-emission leadership and corporate social responsibility to employees, stakeholders and customers.”

Read More / Source : Auto Evolution

Nissan and its charging infrastructure partners estimate that about 160 fast chargers are currently available for public use across the United States, and no fast chargers are available for public use in Washington D.C. Most electric vehicle (EV) drivers now rely on home charging, and having additional charging options can significantly increase their rate of EV driving.

“We envision a quick-charging network that links communities and neighborhoods where people live, work, shop and socialize,” said Brendan Jones, Nissan’s director of electric vehicle marketing and sales strategy. “Having a robust charging infrastructure helps build range confidence, which boosts interest in and use of electric vehicles. By improving the charging infrastructure, Nissan furthers its commitment to bringing electric vehicles to markets throughout the United States.”

Nissan’s strategy is focused on a three-prong approach to increase the number of available fast chargers though its dealer network, workplace campus charging and opportunities within local neighborhoods that help interconnect communities where drivers spend the bulk of their time and do the majority of their driving. Nissan is working with its dealers, local municipalities and infrastructure partners that include NRG Energy and its eVgo Network to increase the current number of public charging options.

A key part of this infrastructure enhancement is eVgo’s new greater Washington, D.C. ecosystem, which will include a network of 40 eVgo Freedom Station  sites across the area. Each Freedom Station site will have a Nissan fast charger that can provide EVs such as the Nissan LEAF with up to an 80 percent charge in less than 30 minutes. NRG’s new greater Washington, D.C. network will be the first such network of fast chargers in the northeastern United States. NRG currently operates similar networks in Houston and the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and has announced networks in the San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Joaquin Valley areas.

Through its subsidiary eVgo, NRG’s investment of approximately $150 million in EV charging infrastructure will provide EV drivers with access to hundreds of public fast-charging Freedom Station sites along with level 2 (240-volt) charging stations at homes, offices, multi-family communities, schools and hospitals across Texas, California and the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. eVgo provides charging solutions directly to EV owners as well as businesses looking to serve the EV charging needs of their residents, tenants, employees or customers. Service plans offered by eVgo enable EV owners to avoid paying large up-front costs for a charger and provide unlimited charging at Freedom Station sites for a monthly fee.

“NRG’s new ecosystem in the greater Washington, D.C. area will provide range confidence and convenience to EV drivers,” said Glen Stancil, vice president at eVgo. “Nissan’s fast chargers are a critical element of the overall ecosystem, which will also include charging solutions for single-family homes, multi-family communities and workplaces. This eVgo ecosystem will enable drivers in our nation’s capital to confidently enjoy the benefits of electric vehicle ownership.”

In addition to growing the number of public charging stations, Nissan aims to make charging available in more workplaces. While the majority of electric vehicle owners heavily rely on home charging, workplace charging has grown in popularity with an increasing number of companies providing this benefit.

Read More / Source : Market Watch

For 2012, these vehicles were the fastest growing segment of US automotive sales, with close to 440,000 sold, according to market research firm Mintel.

About 3.3% of all the vehicles sold in the US last year were hybrids and electric cars, up from less than 1% in 2004.

Mintel expects sales of hybrids and electric cars to rise 14% this year to 535,000, and by 2017, sales should reach 850,000, making up about 5% of the US market.

Worldwide, the Prius hit the big time, now the third top selling car in the world.

Besides high fuel costs, they attribute this growth to the variety of new models introduced to the market in 2012. There now 11 hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric models on the market, quadruple the amount available just 12 months ago.

“New midsize hybrid models, such as the Toyota Prius v and Chevrolet Malibu Eco, have proven popular with consumers, in particular families, who want to buy green without sacrificing other features that fit their lifestyles,” says Colin Bird, automotive analyst at Mintel.

“The segment will grow even further in 2013, with the launch of several new models, including the complete Ford Fusion Hybrid series, and the Honda Accord Hybrid, which will fulfill a wider variety of needs than conventional compact hybrids. Midsize plug-in hybrids will also enter the mainstream in 2013, with the introduction of the Ford Fusion Energi and the Honda Accord Plug-in, which will further improve mainstream acceptance of this, still, fairly novel powertrain segment.”

Issues regarding electric car charging are still the big roadblock. People are still concerned about how far they can drive on a charge, whether public charging stations are near enough when they need them, and how long it takes to charge.

In May, automakers agreed on a standard for charging systems that promises to cut charging times dramatically, and there are now thousands of public charging stations in the US, and that’s just the beginning.

Price is also still a factor for electric cars, but hybrids are getting close to the same price as conventional vehicles.

“If you look at vehicles like the Camry hybrid, the sticker price is actually the same as the non-hybrid,” he says. “Manufacturers have been able to lower and eliminate that extra price,” Jesse Toprak, head of auto market analysis at TrueCar.com, told  Marketing Daily.

Although the Chevy Volt comes with a relatively high price tag, ”When you look at the math, if you live in L.A., and you commute less than 20 miles one way, I don’t understand why you wouldn’t buy. You can lease for under $300 a month. If I spend $350 a month on gas, I would have essentially a free car,” says Toprak.

Read More / Source : Sustainable Business

“We are convinced that fuel cell vehicles will play a central role for zero-emission mobility in the future,” said Thomas Weber, a member of Daimler’s management board. “With this cooperation we will make this technology available for many customers around the globe.”

Powered by electricity generated from hydrogen and oxygen, fuel cell electric vehicles emit only water while driving. The electricity for these vehicles is produced on board in the fuel cell stack where it is generated following an electro-chemical reaction between hydrogen–stored in a purpose-designed, high-pressure tank in the car–and oxygen from the air. The only by-products are water vapor and heat.

The three car companies–who characterized the deal as a push to accelerate the commercialization of fuel cell electric vehicle technology while reducing investment costs associated with the engineering of the technology–said they will invest equally in the project, but didn’t disclose an investment amount.

They plan to develop a common fuel cell stack and fuel cell system that can be used by each company in the launch of ” highly differentiated, separately branded fuel cell electric vehicle“, which produce no carbon dioxide emissions while driving.

Engineering work on the fuel cell stack and the fuel cell system will be done jointly by the companies at several locations around the world. Daimler, Ford and Nissan are also studying the joint development of other fuel cell electric vehicle components.

Read More / Source : Nasdaq

The Energy Conservation Prize, awarded by the Energy Conservation Center, Japan with the assistance of METI, recognizes excellence in energy conservation efforts and advanced energy-saving products which contribute to energy-saving awareness and the wider application of energy-efficient products. Since its inception, the awards program has recognized many examples of outstanding technologies in a wide range of sectors.

The LEAF to Home power supply system won the award in the Product and Business Model Category this year. The power supply system was recognized for its high efficiency and energy savings that can be achieved when the Nissan LEAF’s onboard batteries are used to store electricity and supplied to homes via the power control system unit.

Nissan LEAF, which was updated in 2012 for improved energy regeneration and reduced power consumption, is an electric vehicle with outstanding energy-saving performance, and delivers the equivalent of approximately three times better fuel economy* than comparable vehicles powered by gasoline engines. The Nissan LEAF, paired with the power control system, can supply enough electricity from its 24kWh battery pack to power an average residential home. The LEAF to Home system is expected to contribute to the reduction of power consumption during the day, when demand is highest, by using electricity generated during the night, when demand is low. It can also be used as backup power source during power blackouts and help to effectively use renewable energy such as power generated by solar panels.

The Minister’s prize is the highest honor in the Energy Conservation Prize program. Nissan won this year amid tough competition from entries from other companies, factories, offices, local government authorities and educational institutions.

Read More / Source : Electric Light and Power

Following a “coming of age” for electric vehicles in 2012 when U.S. deliveries passed 55,000, we forecast 130% growth year-over-year to over 127,000 in 2013, as demand broadens.

Beyond Tesla Motors’ (ticker: TSLA) Model S securing a top-five spot—along with theGeneral Motors (GM) Volt, Toyota Motor (TM) Prius plug-in hybrid electric (PHelectric) vehicle, Nissan Motor [of Japan] Leaf, and Ford Motor (F) C-Max—we expect sales to be boosted by new entrants into the space, such as Honda Motor (HMC), Fiat [of Italy], BMW [of Germany] and Audi [a unit of Volkswagen Group of Germany], that broaden electric vehicles into new classes and price points.

Even so, we expect a compelling consumer value proposition to yield greater interest in new traditional hybrids and diesels.

After jumping over 210% in 2012 to 55,500, we forecast U.S. sales of battery electric (Belectric) and PHelectric vehicles will grow 130% year-over-year to just over 127,000 in 2013, spurred by: 1) the availability of many new models and classes; 2) lower price points and attractive lease offers; and 3) broader and deeper charging network offsetting, in our view, concern over reports about lower effective driving range than advertised in some cars.

Though the two electric-vehicle vanguards widely missed their 2012 targets, the GM Volt finished the year strong, and we estimate it will secure the No. 1 spot for the second year in a row with 35,000 (up 50% year-over-year), while we expect the Nissan Leaf to exceed chief executive Carlos Ghosn’s modest 12,000 target in rising 57% to 15,000. With both now benefiting from a full year of sales, we estimate the Prius PHelectric vehicle secures second place with 23,000, and the Ford C-Max at about 13,000.

With Tesla having, by our estimates, boosted production to its targeted pace of about 400 per week (20,000 per year) last month, we believe it is now in a position to begin fulfilling confirmed reservations at a more elevated rate. Underscored further by a bump up in fourth-quarter orders we expect to arise from the year-end price hike, we forecast U.S. deliveries for the Model S of about 12,000 in 2013, representing roughly 60% of its global 20,000 target.

Also bolstering the U.S. electric vehicle outlook in 2013 beyond the top five are a range of new models being introduced that broadens the opportunity set to new classes, price points and auto makers, most notably the Honda Accord PHelectric vehicle (released this month), the Fiat 500e, and—in the luxury category—BMW’s i8 and Audi’s A3 on its E-Tron platform in the fourth quarter of 2013.

Read More / Source : Barrons

Picture the scene: There’s a power cut. It goes dark. Your TV, refrigerator and computer all shut down. How long will it last? Who knows?

Power outages are normally brief affairs, but in disasters like 2012′s Superstorm Sandy, people could be left without power for days.

A potential solution, increasingly coming to light, is that of using electric vehicles as a backup energy source. And now, the Department of Defense is taking the idea seriously too.

The DoD’s interest is twofold, explains the Federal Times.

Firstly, the department is looking to cut money, and electric vehicles are looking more tempting than ever for vehicles which only ever run around Army and Air Force bases.

However, not all vehicles are running all the time, and many may sit unused for periods of time. Here, the DoD can potentially save even more money, as power from the vehicles can be returned to the grid, generating a little extra revenue.

To determine just how effective this could be, a trial will run from August for a year. Each vehicle–including passenger cars, trucks, and buses–could bring in as much as $7,300 per year using this technique. If successful, the scheme will expand from five initial installations, to 30 installations across the country.

The other benefit, as alluded to, is that of mitigation for grid failures.

At Fort Carson, Colorado, the Army is researching into a project to help the base become energy independent of the local civilian grid.

Should the local grid go down, the base could use electric vehicles, plugged into a “microgrid”, to stay online until the main grid is repaired. Energy could be directed through the microgrid to whichever buildings or systems needed it.

The grid would be used in conjunction with diesel generators and solar power, keeping energy use as low as possible.

Read More / Source : Green Car Reports