Alternative fuels

HANS GREIMEL

Toyota, Mazda bet against each other in quest for 94 mpg

4:54 pm U.S. ET | Feb. 26, 2015

Japan’s largest auto manufacturer and one of its smallest are betting against each other on divergent paths to the same goal -- an incredible fuel economy rate pushing 94 mpg....
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Toyota's most high-tech car gets ultra low-tech birth

6:47 am U.S. ET | Feb. 24, 2015

Toyota celebrated the launch of its high-tech Mirai fuel cell vehicle today from its noticeably low-tech production line. And President Akio Toyoda chose today as the celebration date for a reason. It's the five-year anniversary of when Toyoda was hauled before a congressional panel to answer questions about his company's unintended acceleration recalls....
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U.S. consumers expect gas prices to rise again, survey finds

3:37 pm U.S. ET | Feb. 19, 2015

Gas prices in the United States may be down, but consumers don’t expect the lower prices to last....
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Just think of the money you save

12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 26, 2015

From $4-$5 a gallon to $2-$3 is good news for every driver and the auto industry....
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DOE announces $55 million in funding for green car research

4:12 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 22, 2015

More than $55 million in new funding from the Department of Energy will go toward projects that aim to reduce and improve the efficiency of plug-in electric, alternative fuel and conventional vehicles....
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Toyota raises ante on hydrogen; Japan to ease fuel cell regulation

6:56 am U.S. ET | Jan. 15, 2015

Japan will introduce self-service hydrogen filling stations and ease other regulations related to fuel cells to promote the technology, which carmakers including Toyota are using in vehicles....
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JCI battery powers vehicle stop-start systems

12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 12, 2015

Johnson Controls Inc. has developed a small lithium ion battery that boosts the efficiency of vehicle stop-start systems. The battery is about the size of a tissue box and weighs around 9 pounds....
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JCI to unveil battery just for vehicle stop-start systems

6:00 am U.S. ET | Jan. 8, 2015

Johnson Controls has developed a small lithium ion battery for use only by vehicle stop-start systems. The battery is about the size of a tissue box and weighs around 9 pounds....
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Toyota opens hydrogen patents to advance fuel cells

4:00 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 5, 2015

Toyota said today it won’t enforce more than 5,600 patents it owns on hydrogen fuel-cell technology through 2020, allowing rivals to reap the fruits of its research royalty-free. The move mirrors a step last year by Tesla Motors....
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Tesla offers Roadster upgrade package to reach a 400-mile range

4:24 pm U.S. ET | Dec. 26, 2014

Tesla Motors is offering a suite of upgrades to its sporty two-seat roadster, which it no longer sells, giving owners as much as a 400-mile range, enough to drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles....
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AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE E-MAGAZINE

VW, Fiat, Mercedes will benefit from CNG market growth

Dec. 10, 2014 06:01 CET

European sales of vehicles powered by compressed natural gas could grow tenfold by 2020, benefiting Fiat, VW and Mercedes. CNG sales are forecast to grow as automakers add more low-CO2 emission vehicles to their lineups....
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VW buys stake in startup U.S. battery company, report says

1:54 pm U.S. ET | Dec. 5, 2014

Volkswagen AG bought a stake in battery startup QuantumScape with the aim of developing technology that can more than triple the range of its electric cars, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg....
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NEAL BOUDETTE

Luxury cars go the way of free-trade coffee

12:01 am U.S. ET | Dec. 1, 2014

Luxury automobiles typically offer customers a combination of high performance, advanced technology and plush comfort. But now they may offer wealthy car buyers something else: a clearer conscience....
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LUCA CIFERRI

Why Audi over-engineered its fuel cell

12:01 am U.S. ET | Nov. 28, 2014

Audi r&d boss Ulrich Hackenberg provided a concise answer when asked why the carmaker's fuel cell also needs plug-in hybrid technology....
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Fuel cell cars steal spotlight

12:01 am U.S. ET | Nov. 24, 2014

Automakers are beginning to nudge the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle out of the illusion factory that is Southern California and into the broader conversation about the future of clean transportation....
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Toyota: Fuel cell water safe to drink ... but don't try it

12:01 am U.S. ET | Nov. 24, 2014

Toyota pitches its new Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car as a godsend for the planet. Heat and water are its only byproducts, not climate-altering carbon dioxide. But just how clean is that exhaust water vapor? Turns out, the Mirai's exhaust water is safer than milk, Toyota says. Still, no one at Toyota has tried it....
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Fuel cell vehicles: The only cars with potable exhaust?

10:28 am U.S. ET | Nov. 21, 2014

Toyota is pitching the Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car as a godsend for the planet. Heat and water are its only byproducts, not climate-altering carbon dioxide. But just how clean is that exhaust water vapor?...
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Toyota sees fuel cell car, priced at $57,500, gaining traction in small steps

8:00 pm U.S. ET | Nov. 17, 2014

Toyota said it plans to sell close to 200 of its Mirai -- it means “future” in Japanese -- fuel-cell sedans when it goes on sale in California in late 2015, and 3,000 units by the end of 2017 as it expands marketing to cover the Northeast U.S....
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FUEL ME ONCE ...

Hydrogen cars are here. Is the world ready for them?

12:01 am U.S. ET | Nov. 17, 2014

Auto companies have looked to hydrogen fuel cells as a groundbreaking technology: a nonpolluting power source that isn't constrained by battery capacity and doesn't require long stretches of downtime for charging. But one key breakthrough -- making a hydrogen-fueled vehicle as easy to drive and refuel as a gasoline-powered one -- remains elusive....
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Fuel cell cars will be commercially viable by 2025, Bosch exec says

Nov. 17, 2014 11:36 CET

Falling costs will make fuel cell technology commercially viable for mass car production by 2025, Wolf-Henning Scheider, Bosch's automotive chief, said. Toyota and Honda plan to launch fuel cell vehicles in 2015....
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Toyota launches Mirai fuel cell vehicle, plans hydrogen stations in Northeast

10:12 pm U.S. ET | Nov. 16, 2014

Toyota offered more details about its long-awaited Mirai fuel cell vehicle and said it plans to build a dozen hydrogen refueling stations in the Northeast United States....
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Honda shows new fuel cell concept, delays launch

11:30 pm U.S. ET | Nov. 16, 2014

Honda unveiled a sleek new concept of its upcoming hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle but promptly delayed its launch as part of a global quality review in the wake of a series of embarrassing product problems....
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Toyota aims to replicate Prius success with fuel cell Mirai

Nov. 17, 2014 04:12 CET

Toyota will introduce its first mass-market fuel cell car next month, hoping to replicate the success of its Prius hybrid with a vehicle that runs on hydrogen instead of gasoline....
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Hyundai, Kia aim to raise fuel economy by 25% by 2020

7:08 am U.S. ET | Nov. 6, 2014

Hyundai and its affiliate Kia said today they aim to raise the average fuel economy of their vehicles by 25 percent by 2020 to meet emissions regulations in South Korea, the United States and Europe....
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DAVE GUILFORD

Lower gas prices, longer alt-power payback

3:32 pm U.S. ET | Nov. 5, 2014

I've enjoyed seeing my gas tank fill-ups cost $10 to $15 less than usual. I'm sure that people selling bigger vehicles do, too. But one group probably isn't cheering: Anyone marketing alternative powertrain vehicles....
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