Mobile Emissions Today articles from December 2006

Mobile Emissions Today archives from December 2006

Norwich, UK starts pay-as-you-drive scheme.(CityCarClub)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Norwich, UK, launched a new pay-as-you-drive car scheme today, allowing residents to rent a vehicle for $5.50 per hour. Through the CityCarClub project, cars will be stationed in Norwich for hire by anyone who joins the program. ...

GM makes PHEV 'top priority'.(Industry Report)
December 1, 2006... General Motors this week called rechargeable hybrid vehicles a "top priority." "The technological hurdles are real, but we believe they are also surmountable," GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner said Wednesday at the Greater Los Angeles Auto...

US supreme court hears case involving vehicle emissions.(Industry Report)
December 1, 2006... The Supreme Court took up its first-ever case on global warming Wednesday, hearing arguments from states and environmentalists seeking federal regulation of motor-vehicle emissions. In arguments, an attorney for 12 states and 13...

UK government to spend $2 billion on greener fleet.(International Report)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... The British Government plans to spend nearly $2 billion to replace 78,000 ministerial and civil service vehicles under a program to cut costs and reduce carbon emissions from its fleet by 15% by 2011. The government has recruited 15...

UK travel agents work on carbon offset program.(International Report)
December 4, 2006... The Association of British Travel Agents announced last week it is working with the Association of Independent Tour Operators and the Federation of Tour Operators to develop a scheme to offset carbon dioxide emissions from travel. ABTA...

Texas considers low-emission vehicle program.(Industry Report)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Texas Senator Rodney Ellis and State Representative Mark Strama last week proposed legislation that would require the Texas Environmental Quality Commission to establish a low-emission vehicle program similar to ones in California and 10 other...

Inco and Sud-Chemie form Alantum.(International Report)
December 5, 2006... Inco Limited, a leading nickel and nickel specialties producer based in Toronto, Canada, and Sud-Chemie of Munich, Germany, a leading supplier of catalysts for the chemicals and refining industry and for environmental applications, are...

ALD poll reveals carbon emissions reduction as low priority.(International Report)
December 5, 2006... Only 27% of UK-fleet operating companies focus on carbon emissions reduction, according to a recent ALD Automotive poll. The contract hire and leasing company conducted a series of online polls for the study. Almost 140 fleet...

Armenia using clean compressed gas.(International Report)(Brief article)
December 5, 2006... In Armenia up to 30% of cars already run on clean compressed gas, according to the nation's Transport Ministry. The statistic includes about 45,000 private cars and 90% of public transport. Such high levels of clean fuel use are due "to the...

ITM and ABRO ink deal.(International Report)(ITM Power)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... ITM Power announces Tuesday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with ABRO, a trading fund of the UK's Ministry of Defense that maintains vehicles and equipments owned and operated by the British Armed Forces. The objective of the...

German Parliament to consider particulate filter credits.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... German Parliament will soon review a bill detailing a system of vehicle license fee credits for diesel particulate filter retrofits. The Parliament will likely start deliberating the bill by Dec. 15. The measure is independent of the...

Peugeot introduces eco-friendlier diesel.(Industry Report)
December 6, 2006... Peugeot recently introduced its Euro-4 compliant, 1.6-liter HDi diesel engine to the Partner van line-up. The new engine is 31.5 % more fuel efficient on the combined cycle and emits 24% less CO2: 143 grams per kilometer compared to the 187...

Boxer to call for testimony on global warming regulations.(Industry Report)
December 7, 2006... When California Senator Barbara Boxer next year takes over as chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, she will ask Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and two Democratic state lawmakers to testify about why...

OCTA purchases 531 Cummins engines.(Industry Report)(Orange County Transportation Authority)(Brief article)
December 7, 2006... California's Orange County Transportation Authority has ordered 531 Cummins Westport transit bus engines to be installed as a combination of new installations and repowers--installation of a new power plant in an existing vehicle chassis. ...

EPA certifies additional caterpillar engines.(Industry Report)
December 7, 2006... The US Environmental Protection Agency has certified two more Caterpillar Inc. engines as meeting low-emissions regulations that take effect Jan. 1. The company's C13 and C15 engines, used in on-highway trucks, underwent were extensive...

New Zealand low carbon vehicle partnership formed.(Brief article)
December 11, 2006... New Zealand must accelerate the introduction of low carbon vehicles in order to meet its Kyoto Protocol commitments, according to the newly formed Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership New Zealand. Low CVP New Zealand is a partnership between...

Scania readies Euro 5-compliant truck engine for 2007.(International Report)
December 11, 2006... Scania will unveil its new engine platform for Euro 5 during 2007. On the new engines, Scania uses exhaust gas recirculation--without any aftertreatment--to meet Euro 5 emissions requirements. The technology does not require the driver to...

Woodward and Tenneco announce development agreement.(Industry Report)
December 11, 2006... Woodward Governor Company and Tenneco Inc. announced last week they will jointly develop a range of low-emission after-treatment burner systems; the companies will use Woodward SmartFire combustion control systems for regeneration of diesel...

Clean car rules coming to Pennsylvania.(Industry Report)
December 12, 2006... New restrictions on vehicle emissions in Pennsylvania will make it onto the books this year, according to a recently released written statement from Governor Ed Rendell. The state attorney general has approved the regulations and they will...

Nissan plan mindful of emissions reductions.(Industry Report)
December 12, 2006... Nissan Motor Corp. unveiled Monday its technology development plans for the next four years, including development of gasoline-electric vehicles. Nissan Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga said the projects are efforts to reduce carbon...

Clif bar launches cool commute program.(Editorials, Asides & Reviews)
December 12, 2006... Clif Bar and Co., manufacturer of energy and nutrition foods and drinks, has launched a Cool Commute program for employees. The incentive program offers $5,000 to employees who switch to biodiesel cars for their commutes. The company will...

Report looks at air quality in Asian cities.(International Report)
December 13, 2006... While individual vehicle emissions are being reduced, the volume of vehicles in Asian cities is rising rapidly, according to an air quality report released Tuesday. The report studied 22 Asian cities. The United Nations Environment Program...

EPA to allow California to enforce SORE rules.(Industry Report)
December 13, 2006... The US Environmental Protection Agency Monday granted California a waiver allowing the state to enforce its own emission-control regulations on small engines such as lawnmowers. The USEPA waiver allows the California Air Resources Board to...

New EPA testing procedures to affect fuel economy ratings.(Industry Report)
December 13, 2006... Fuel economy ratings of cars and trucks will drop significantly starting with 2008 models, some of which will go on sale early next year. The declines are due to the Environmental Protection Agency using more realistic conditions to...

Audi aims to win race with bio-fuel.(Industry Report)(Audi Sport)(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Audi Sport wants to be the first auto manufacturer to win the Le Mans 24 Hours using bio-fuel in 2008. The company was the first to win the sports car endurance race with a diesel engine car in 2006. "We want... to go a step beyond oil and...

European Parliament votes for tighter emission limits.(Brief article)
December 14, 2006... Members of European Parliament voted Wednesday to back a report by Committee on the Environment member Matthias Groote of Germany on changes to the Euro 5 and Euro 6 emissions targets. The report advocated a gradual introduction of tighter...

Indonesia meeting focuses on emissions.(International Report)
December 14, 2006... Asia must impose tighter regulations on emissions, Asian business leaders, ministers and environmentalists said Wednesday. At a meeting in Yogyakarta, Indonesian, attendees discussed how Asia's rapid economic development has turned the...

Zytek delivers hybrid prototype to London.(International Report)
December 15, 2006... Zytek showed a diesel-electric hybrid prototype to UK government ministers this week in London. The company was awarded $3.5 million by Britain's Energy Saving Trust to develop the vehicle. The demonstration vehicle meets the...

Volkswagen Polo to be cleaner than Prius.(International Report)
December 15, 2006... Volkswagen has unveiled its new Polo model, which it claims is cleaner than Toyota's Prius. The Polo BlueMotion will be on sale in the UK next year and has lower CO2 emission levels than the Prius hybrid, the best selling hybrid in the US....

EPA proposes onboard diagnostic systems for large trucks and buses.(Industry Report)
December 15, 2006... The US Environmental Protection Agency is proposing rules requiring the use of onboard diagnostic systems to monitor the emissions control systems of large diesel and gasoline highway trucks and buses weighing more than 14,000 pounds. The...

European parliament to give SUVs more time on emissions.(International Report)
December 18, 2006... The European Parliament last week exempted sports utility vehicles from tougher rules on vehicle emissions standards for an additional three years. Members of Parliament agreed to roll out over time Euro V and VI emissions standards, with...

Mazda to debut HEV in Detroit.(Industry Report)
December 18, 2006... Mazda will unveil its all-new Mazda Tribute Hybrid Electric Vehicle at the 2007 Detroit Motor Show to be held January 7-21 at the COBO Conference Center. The vehicle will be the first advanced-technology vehicle "dedicated to clean air"...

Texas expects new emissions test.(Industry Report)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... Beginning Jan. 1, newer model vehicles will be given a new high tech emissions test in Texas. The state will begin to use On Board Diagnostic 2 tests during inspections. The system uses a car's computer to check fuel and exhaust systems....

Automakers ask court to toss out lawsuit.(Industry Report)
December 19, 2006... Chrysler Motors Corp., General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor North America Inc., American Honda Motor Co. and Nissan North America Inc. last week asked a federal judge to toss out a lawsuit by California that accuses them of...

EPA suggests changes to Phoenix, Tucson emissions inspection program.(Industry Report)
December 19, 2006... The US Environmental Protection Agency has proposed to remove collectible vehicles from the Phoenix, Arizona, vehicle emissions inspection program, and collectible vehicles and motorcycles from the Tucson vehicle emissions inspection program....

Study: Asia's carbon dioxide emissions from transportation to triple.(International Report)
December 19, 2006... Carbon dioxide emissions from Asia's transport sector will triple over the next 25 years, according to a study from the Asian Development Bank. Local air pollution and congestion from transport will increase to levels that seriously hamper...

Environment northwest presents climate change roadmap.(International Report)
December 20, 2006... Canadian non-profit environmental group Environment Northwest has released a plan "governments must act on" if they hope to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets for eastern Canada and the US northeast. The organization's Climate Change...

Clean diesel technologies signs first UK fleet contract.(International Report)(Burgoynes Limited)(Brief article)
December 20, 2006... Clean Diesel International, a developer of emissions reductions technologies for mobile and stationary engines, has signed its first UK commercial fleet contract for the Platinum Plus DFX fuel-borne catalyst. Platinum Plus is a bimetallic...

Japan considers tougher fuel economy regulations.(International Report)(Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Transport)(Brief article)
December 20, 2006... Japanese automakers would have to increase the fuel efficiency of passenger cars by roughly 23.5% by 2015 under new regulatory proposals unveiled Friday by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in partnership with the Ministry of...

Massachusetts to retrofit all diesel school and transit buses.(Industry Report)
December 21, 2006... Massachusetts will spend $22.5 million to retrofit 8,400 public school and regional transit buses by 2010 with the aim of offsetting pollution from Boston's Big Dig project in Boston. The diesel retrofit initiative is an agreement between...

ASA targets Volkswagen ad.(International Report)
December 21, 2006... The Advertising Standards Authority has criticized Volkswagen for a press ad for the Golf GT TSI stating that the car has low emissions. Volkswagen defended the ad and said the emissions claim should be read in conjunction with other text...

European commission proposes including air transport in Emissions Trading.(International Report)
December 21, 2006... The European Commission Wednesday proposed legislation to bring greenhouse gas emissions from civil aviation into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. The proposed directive will cover emissions from flights within the EU from 2011 and all...

States sue EPA over particulate matter allowances.(Industry Report)
December 22, 2006... Thirteen states sued the Environmental Protection Agency Monday for ignoring the advice of EPA scientists on air quality standards. The plaintiffs are California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New...

Australia reviews Kyoto Protocol targets.(International Report)
December 22, 2006... Australia hopes to meet a greenhouse emissions level of just above its allocated target under the Kyoto Protocol, Environment Minister Ian Campbell said this week. Campbell cited an annual government report that forecasts Australia's...

New Zealand plans tougher import standards.(International Report)
December 22, 2006... New Zealand's Associate Transport Minister Judith Tizard has announced measures to restrict imports of vehicles with older technology to help reduce vehicle emissions. "We are proposing to introduce a vehicle emissions technology standard...

Volvo concept built for E85 use.(Industry Report)
December 26, 2006... The Volvo XC60 Concept is using the same six-cylinder, gasoline engine introduced in the Volvo S80 in 2006. The Concept engine has been optimized for E85 use. The vehicle's fuel economy on E85 is 19.2 miles per gallon; carbon dioxide...

New Delhi's growing car population hurting environment program goals.(International Report)
December 26, 2006... Efforts to cut air pollution in New Delhi through the use of cleaner fuel in public transport are being undone by the growing number of vehicles on the roads, an environmental think-tank report said last week The Washington, DC-based...

UK car hire company offers carbon neutral plan.(International Report)
December 26, 2006... UK online car rental company Carrentals.co.uk has teamed with The CarbonNeutral Company to offer customers a carbon offset option with their car rental. Travelers booking a car through Carrentals.co.uk can now make their car carbon neutral...

Mercedes-Benz to settle air pollution case.(Industry Report)
December 27, 2006... Mercedes-Benz and parent company DaimlerChrysler will pay $1.2 million to settle allegations that it failed to report air pollution problems with Mercedes-Benz vehicles to federal regulators, the US Department of Justice said last week. As...

DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen prepare Bluetec vehicles for US.(Industry Report)
December 27, 2006... DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen said recently that their Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, VW and Audi brands are creating nearly a dozen cars and sport utility vehicles with diesel engines using Bluetec technology, designed to reduce emissions. ...

European Auto Association asks EC for break on CO2 emissions.(International Report)
December 27, 2006... The European Automobile Manufacturers Association last week called on the European Commission not to impose limits for carbon dioxide emissions, saying politicians have not done their job in providing tax incentives for cleaner cars. ...

Japan's new ACE diesel cuts emissions.(International Report)
December 28, 2006... Japan's New ACE Institute Co. and the National Traffic Safety and Environment Laboratory have developed diesel engine technology that reduces emissions of oxides of nitrogen from engines fueled by rapeseed-based bio-diesel blends by 80%,...

Texas low-income program helps with emissions inspections.(Editorials, Asides & Reviews)
December 28, 2006... A Texas state program is helping low-income residents whose vehicles fail emissions inspections to fix the problems. The Low Income Vehicle Repair Assistance, Retrofit, and Accelerated Vehicle Retirement Program helps the residents repair...

Valeo to work with automakers on camless engines.(Industry Report)
December 28, 2006... Valeo has several development contracts with automakers for its camless engine, according to AutoWeek. A Valeo spokesperson confirmed the supplier is working with several automakers on camless engines. The company introduced its Smart...

Transport for London releases environment report.(International Report)
December 29, 2006... Transport for London has released its Environmental Report 2006. According to the report, the London transport sector will continue to make progress in providing a "cleaner and greener transport network" but challenges for emissions and CO2...

CARB announces clean air technology awards.(Industry Report)
December 29, 2006... The California Air Resources Board has selected 12 new proposals to receive Innovative Clean Air Technology awards for 2006. The $2.6 million in awards will help transition the project proposals to working models. CARB received 104...

Federal court strikes down EPA decision.(Industry Report)
December 29, 2006... The District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals has overruled a US Environmental Protection Agency ruling changing the 8-hour ozone standard. According to the court, the EPA violated the Clean Air Act by relaxing limits. Several states...

Reminder.(Industry Report)
December 29, 2006... EIN Publishing will be closed Jan. 1. EIN Dailies won't be delivered that day but will return Jan. 2. Happy New Year! (EIN STAFF: 12/28)