New compact Hybrid from Toyota (Int'l, New Prod. & Tech.)

Toyota will launch a new hybrid compact based on the Yaris in Japan in 2011 that will retail for around ¥1.5 million ($15,800 US). Hybrid demand is booming in Japan, supported by government subsidies and tax breaks, plus the price competition between Toyota and Honda. Though it will be marketed first in Japan, Toyota has not ruled out manufacturing the compact in France for sales in Europe.

(Source: Reuters, July 28, 2009) Contact: Toyota, www.toyota.com.

Hong Kong Police to use iMiEVs for patrol (Int'l, G&C)

Hong Kong will join Japan in having the second police force that uses electric police cars. Mitsubishi is sending 10 of its iMiEVs to the territory's government with three earmarked for police use, and the rest used by various government agencies. The iMiEV's battery pack consists of 22 modules, each with four cells, that can propel the EV for 100 miles. It can charge in about six or seven hours on a 220v outlet, but the iMiEV also has a fast-charging option that brings the battery to 80% cap acity in just 30 minutes.

(Source: Pure Green Cars, July 27, 2009). Contact: Mitsubishi Motor Corp, www.mitsubishimotors.com; Hong Long Police Force, www.police.gov.hk/hkp-home/english/index.htm.

PHEV use could cut Alberta transport emissions 90% (R&D)

Researchers at the University of Calgary in Alberta have found that wide-scale adoption of PHEVs in the province could cut transportation-related GHG emissions by between 40 and 90%, and could be particularly useful if they were used to support wind power. The research team, led by Professor Hamid Zareipour says Alberta needs a smart charging system to help grow the province's wind power capacity. Such a system would also help handle increased electricity demand from EVs.

(Source: Green Car Congress, July 27, 2009). Contact: Hamid Zareipour, Assistant Professor, Engineering, University of Calgary, (403) 210-9516, h.zareipour@ucalgary.ca, www.ucalgary.ca.

UK Rail Electrification to cut transport Emissions (Int'l Funding, Ind. Report)

One of Britain's busiest rail lines will be electrified to become a green and reliable service as the UK government tries to cope with rising carbon emissions from transport. The government is finalizing plans to transform the Great Western Mainline that will see the installation of hundreds of miles of cables -- as well as infrastructure upgrades -- to one of Britain's oldest routes. The upgrade is expected to be carried out in stages over the next decade, and eventually stretch from Paddington Station to Cardiff, while taking in Bristol, Reading, and the commuter rail line from Oxford.

Britain lags behind many of its European counterparts in electrical rail coverage, with only 40% of the 20,000-mile network electrified. Transport Secretary Lord Adonis has pledged to electrify huge swaths of the system in order to reduce transport's carbon dioxide emissions by 14% by 2020.

(Source: The Guardian, July 21, 2009). Contact: Lord Andrew Adonis, Secretary of State for Transport, andrew.adonis@dft.gsi.gov.uk, www.dft.gov.uk.

First iMiEVs sent to Japanese fleets; consumer pre-orders accepted on July 31 (Int'l, Ind. Report, New Prod. & Tech)

Mitsubishi will begin taking orders for its zero-emissions car, the iMiEV, on July 31. The first few hatchback models have already rolled off production lines for delivery to several electric power corporations in Japan during July. In the meantime, consumers can order the $48,000 EV in a few days and could receive them as soon as next April. Mi tsubishi hopes to sell 1,400 cars during the next year as production ramps up.

(Source: Venture Beat, July 22, 2009). Contact: Mitsubishi Motor Corp, www.mitsubishimotors.com

$1.65 mn US to help defray Alt-Fuel installation costs in UK cities (Int'l Funding)

The Department for Transport has launched a £1 million ($1.65 million US) fund to encourage the installation of a public infrastructure for low-carbon vehicles, including electric car recharging points. The Infrastructure Grant Programme (IGP) will cover up to 50% of the costs to install alternatives to petrol, which includes electric charging points, natural gas, hydrogen, and bio-methane pumps. The IGP will be administered by the government's appointed low-carbon vehicle agency, Cenex, and will run until 2011.

(Source: New Energy Focus, July 23, 2009). Contact: Robert Evans, Chief Executive, Cenex, +44 (0) 150 963-5750, www.cenex.co.uk.

Illinois will spend $10 mn US on EV research and infrastructure (Funding)

Tucked away in an omnibus $31 billion employment package signed by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is $10 million for electric car infrastructure that will help Illinois develop manufacturing and R&D offices for the next generation of automobiles.

(Source: Auto Green, July 22, 2009). Contact: Governor Pat Quinn, (217) 782-6830, www.illinois.gov.

Hyundai to spend $2.8 bn US on Next-Generation Vehicles (Int'l, Funding)

Hyundai will spend $3.2 billion US to develop environmentally-friendly vehicles and reduce carbon emissions from its factories. The South Korean automaker's investment plan is designed to make Hyundai the world's fourth largest manufacturer of green cars, and put them into direct competition with Nissan and Toyota. The company will spend $1.7 billion to develop hybrid, electric, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and anoth er $1.1 billion will go towards improving the fuel efficiency of engines and transmissions. Hyundai, which is gearing up green vehicles production lines for 2012, will also spend $400 million to reduce carbon emissions by its factories by 6%.

In similar news, preorders for the Elantra LPI Hybrid have surpassed the 1,000 unit milestone.
Editor's Note: Our sister publication, Carbon, Emissions, and Climate Change, has covered the South Korean government's $85 billion incentive program for clean tech industries, and Hyundai will likely qualify for tax breaks and loan guarantees with this announcement.

(Source: Business Green, July 23, 2009) Contact: Hyundai, www.hyundai.com.

Turtle Top partners with Azure Dynamics (G&C)

Azure Dynamics and Turtle Top (TT) are partnering to give TT's customers the option of choosing Azure's Balance Hybrid system. TT manufactures small- and mid-sized buses as well as specialty vehicles. With the addition of New Paris, IN-based Turtle Top, Azure has now partnered with seven of the leading bus body manufacturers in the US and Canada, plus 27 Ford commercial truck dealerships. (Source: PR Newswire, July 22, 2009).

Contact: Jay Sandler, Vice President, Sales, Azure Dynamics, (248) 298-2403 ext. 1205, jsandler@azuredynamics.com, www.azuredynamics.com; Turtle Top Inc., (574) 831-4340, ttsp@turtletop.com, www.turtletop.com.

U.S. Postal Service Opens First Green Roof

Agency Cements Role as an Environmental Leader

NEW YORK, July 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Postal Service celebrated another example of its environmental leadership as it dedicated its first and New York City's largest green roof high atop the Morgan mail processing facility.

Built in 1933, the 2.2 million square foot facility located in midtown Manhattan became a historic landmark in 1986. Its roof was constructed originally to serve as an additional mail processing location, supporting 200 pounds per square foot. When the roof was scheduled for replacement in 2007, it was deemed strong enough to support the weight of the soil, vegetation and other requirements of a green roof. The plan fit perfectly into the Postal Service's commitment to create sustainable spaces and facilities wherever possible.

"The Postal Service is taking the lead when it comes to making a positive impact on the environment," said Tom Samra, vice president, Facilities. "We're proud to dedicate our first green roof, and we are pleased to showcase this environmental oasis today in New York City."
The green roof also addresses practical concerns. The roof will last up to 50 years, twice as long as the roof it replaced. It will also reduce the amount of contaminants in storm water runoff flowing into New York's municipal water system. The agency projects the reduction of polluted runoff to be as much as 75 percent in the summer, and up to 35 percent during the winter months.

At nearly 2.5 acres, and safely perched seven stories above the city, the Morgan green roof offers a spectacular panoramic view of midtown Manhattan and the northern New Jersey shore. Its 14 orange-hued Brazilian ipe wood benches are made from lumber certified sustainable by the Forest Stewardship Council. Native plants and trees include Calamagrostis, a lush, maintenance-free grass.

"The Morgan green roof is the largest in New York and one of the largest in the country," said Sam Pulcrano, vice president, Sustainability. "Not only does it provide employees with a beautiful, serene outdoor environment, the green roof will help us meet our goal to reduce energy usage 30 percent by 2015."

The Morgan green roof is the latest success in the Postal Service's greener facilities strategy, which includes the use of environmentally conscious building components, renewable materials, energy-efficient lighting and HVAC, low volatile organic compound parts, low-water use fixtures, solar photovoltaic systems, and a LEED-certified facility opening soon in Long Island.

The agency also announced the newest edition to its fleet of hybrid electric delivery vehicles, a 2-ton hybrid electric van. The vehicle, a combined effort of Azure Dynamics, Morgan Olson, Boyer Ford Truck Sales and Ford Motor Company, will be tested in Long Island later this summer and will join 30 other Azure Dynamics pure electric step vans currently delivering mail in Manhattan and the Bronx, as part of a test of the alternative fuel technology.

With the largest civilian fleet in the world -- nearly 220,000 vehicles traveling more than 1.2 billion miles a year -- the Postal Service consistently looks for ways to reduce the environmental impact of its fleet. The use of hybrid electric vehicles, and other alternative fuel technologies, along with reducing the size of its fleet, will help the Postal Service meet its goal of reducing fuel usage by 20 percent over the next five years.

In the last 12 months, the Postal Service also has expanded its recycling program in New York City to include mixed paper and cardboard, resulting in nearly 400 tons of materials recycled each month. Since last October post offices in New York City have recycled 2,770 tons of mixed paper and cardboard, an increase of 1,861 tons, or nearly triple what was recycled in the same period the previous year.

The Postal Service has been honored with more than 70 major environmental awards, including 40 White House Closing the Circle awards for environmental stewardship, and the 2009 Climate Change Champion of the Year Award for efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/news.

An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 149 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes, six days a week. It has 34,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world's mail.

Toyota and Mazda close to a Hybrid technology deal -- Report (Int'l, G&C)

Toyota is expected to cut a deal with Mazda to supply hybrid technology to its smaller rival. The two companies are reportedly talking about sharing key components for hybrids, including the batteries, braking systems, and electronic motors. If a deal is concluded, it would allow Mazda to start selling hybrids as early as 2013, with an annual sales target of 100,000 vehicles.

Editor's Note: Mazda has brought a small number of hybrid Tribute SUVs to market using Ford technology, but as we recently reported (June 16), Mazda was searching for partners to further the company's hybrid and PHEV goals. Our archives have several articles on Mazda's efforts to cut emissions by reducing vehicle weight and improving aerodynamics, as the company lacks the resources to launch a full hybrid or PHEV program.

(Source: Nikkei, July 16, 2009). Contact: Mazda, www.mazda.com; Toyota, www.toyota.com.

Toyota Europe picks UK for Hybrid Auris production for EU market (Int'l, G&C, Funding)

Britain's car industry received a boost last week when Toyota confirmed it will produce a hybrid Auris hatchback at its plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire -- marking the first time that Toyota will build a European hybrid model on the continent. Production is slated to begin this time next year, with the hybrid engines produced at the nearby Toyota factory in Wales. The decision is most welcome, as the two factories employ more than 4,000 people (3,560 in Burnaston alone), but production, shifts and salaries ha d been cut this year because of the recession and falling car sales.

"Our decision to produce a full hybrid in the UK reflects both our confidence in the quality and commitment of the Toyota UK workforce and the strength of our long-standing partnership with the UK government," said Toyota's European Chief Executive, Tadashi Arashima. "Today's announcement is positive for Toyota, our UK suppliers and the local communities."

(Source: Business Green, July 17, 2009) Contact: Etienne Plas, Media, Toyota Europe, +32 (2) 745-2022, etienne.plas@toyota-europe.com, toyota-europe.com

GM to build $43 mn US Chevy Volt Battery assembly plant Detroit (G&C, Funding)

The Detroit News is reporting that General Motors will open a $43 million battery facility in Brownstown Township near Detroit to assemble li-ion battery packs for the Chevrolet Volt using Korean cells from LG Chem. The report says that the Township's promised 50% tax break on new machinery and equipment for 12 years sealed the deal for GM by saving several million dollars. The state has already approved $167 million in tax credits to support GM and this new facility. The plant will be located on a 375-acre site near the airport, and create the 400-pound T-shaped battery packs for shipment up Interstate 75 to the Hamtramck Assembly Plant.
Editor's Note: This will be the third big clean car announcement that GM has made in the last two months. See our June 10 and 29 newsletters for details.

(Source: Detroit News, July 17, 2009). Contact: Dave Darovitz, Chevy Volt Communications, (586) 596-0871, david.darovitz@gm.com, www.gm.com.

$1.92 mn US Clean Diesel grants cleans up New England Produce Market (Funding, Leg. & Reg.)

Thanks to a $1.92 million grant from the EPA, two Clean Diesel projects in Chelsea, MA that will significantly cut diesel emissions at the New England Produce Market are proceeding. One project will retrofit and upgrade 18 diesel trucks operating in the city, and the other will replace the power source to 71 Tier 0 Transport Refrigeration Units with all-electric units.

(Source: EPA, July 13, 2009). Contact: Brian Eddy, Market Manager, New England Produce Center, (617) 889-2700, Clean Diesel Campaign, US Environmental Protection Agency, cleandiesel@epa.gov, www.epa.gov.

Battery-exchange program will bring EVs to streets sooner (Ind. Report)

A new analysis from UC Berkeley Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology found that the best way to get EVs on roads quickly is to institute a widespread battery leasing program. Electric Cars in the United States: A New Model with Forecasts to 2030, written by Thomas Becker, found that a pay-per-mile service contract plus swappable batteries will spur adoption rates -- very similar to the business model Better Place uses. Separating the car's cost from the battery's cost means less money up-front for consumers, and battery-changing stations will instill more consumer confidence in a new product, the analysis found. If this model is followed, Becker expects that EVs could represent 64% of light vehicles sales by 2030, and 24% of the total light vehicle fleet in that time.

(Source: CNet, July 13, 2009) Contact: Thomas Becker, College of Letters and Science, University of California, Berkeley, tbecker@econ.berkeley.edu, cet.berkeley.edu.

Ontario to buy 500 EVs; offer consumer incentives (Leg. & Reg., Funding)

The Ontario government will add 500 EVs and PHEVs to its fleet and offer consumers up to $10,000 CDN ($8,970 US) in rebates to buy one of the next-generation cars, according to Premier Dalton McGuinty. In fact, the premier is hoping that 5% of all cars on Ontario roads will be electric by 2020. To promote the industry, his government will award "rebates of between $4,000 and $10,000 for plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles purchased after July 1, 2010.

"They tell me that when they roll the first of these off the assembly line, they're going to be expensive, relative to the traditional car powered by the regular internal combustion engine," he said. "We want to help people buy those first cars... [We believe that] electric vehicles are the way to go in Ontario. This plan helps get more people behind the wheel of a green vehicle to create jobs, reduce smog and equip Ontario for the 21st century."

(Source: CBC, July 15, 2009). Contact: Dalton McGuinty, Premier, Province of Ontario, www.premier.gov.on.ca.

ARRA pours $961.3 mn US into public transit agencies (Funding)

The US DOT will release $961.3 million in ARRA funds for state and local transit systems, including the purchase of 81 hybrid transit buses. Projects include:

· $4.2 million for paratransit services, solar bus shelters and partial funding of a 40-foot hybrid electric bus in Santa Rosa, CA

· $47.5 million to purchase seventy-five 40-foot hybrid replacement buses and for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and bus stop improvements for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority

· $7.1 Million will be used to purchase five 40-foot hybrid electric buses, four 29-foot diesel buses, two articulated diesel buses, and to rehabilitate fifteen 40-foot diesel buses in Lansing, MI. Some of the funds will also rehabilitate the CATA facility including repaving certain areas on the site and making locations more accessible for people with mobility impairments.

(Source: Green Car Congress, July 14, 2009) Contact: Paul Griffo, US Department of Transportation, (202) 336-4064, www.fta.dot.gov; CityBus, City of Santa Rosa, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, www.vta.org., ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/departments/transit/CityBus; Capital Area Transportation Authority, (517) 394-1100, www.cata.org.

Oregon's Low-Carbon Fuel bill to find ways to cut Transport Emissions (Leg. & Reg., R&D)

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski is signing a bill into law that will study the trucking industry to determine the best way to implement changes that will lead to more rigorous standards and reduced transport emissions over the next eleven years. The bill, HB 2128, is also called the low-carbon fuel standard bill because it will also decrease the GHG emissions from transport fuels by 10% below 2010 levels by the year 2020. The Department of Environmental Quality will oversee the industry-wide study, and make recommendations on the most efficacious steps to cut transport emissions.

(Source: etrucker, July 13, 2009). Contact: Ted Kulongoski, Governor, State of Oregon, (503) 378-4582 www.governor.state.or.us; Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, (503) 229-5696, DEQInfo@deq.state.or.us, www.deq.state.or.us.

Spain offers up to $9,775 to consumers for EV purchases; major cities to get charging points and 2,000 EVs (Int'l, Funding, Ind. Report)

Minister of Industry, Miguel Sebastian, says that Spain will subsidize EV purchases by consumers by as much as 20%. For standard electric cars, Spaniards will receive refunds of up to €7,000 ($9,775 US); for vehicles such as motorbikes, buses and trucks, the aid ranges between €750 ($1,046) and €20,000 ($27,907). The program is funded with more than $11 million, and includes additional funds to purchase ch arging points and 2,000 electric cars for the municipalities of Barcelona, Madrid and Seville.

(Source: Autoblog Green, July 10, 2009). Contact: Ministry of Industry, Tourism, and Commerce, Government of Spain, www.mityc.es/en-US/Paginas/index.aspx.

Rhode Island Transit receives $24.2 mn US for hybrid buses, trolley upgrades (Ind. Report, Funding)

Twenty 40-foot hybrid buses will be delivered to the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority thanks to $24.2 million in ARRA funding. The money will also fund upgrading 10 trolleys to hybrid systems and public transit upgrades throughout the state.

(Source: Green Car Congress, July 11, 2009) Contact: Al Moscola, General Manager, Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, (401) 781-9400 X 171, amoscola@ripta.com, www.ripta.com

Azure Dynamics to supply 16 Low-Carbon Buses to Calstart program (G&C, Ind. Report)

Azure Dynamics has been awarded a 16-vehicle contract from the Hybrid Truck Users Forum's Small Hybrid Bus Working Group at Calstart. The 16 buses are 23-foot, gasoline-powered hybrid-electric cutaway buses that use Azure's Balance Hybrid Electric powertrain o n the Ford E450 chassis with a StarTrans Senator Bus body. The new buses will carry 14 passengers, including two wheelchair positions. The buses are expected to cut emissions by 30%, and improve fuel economy by as much as 40%.

The CALSTART consortium will be sending the small hybrid buses into day-to-day operations with at least nine fleets in varying climates, geographies and duty cycles. The performance will be measured in chassis dynamometer and field testing.

(Source: Market Wire, July 9, 2009). Contact: MK Campbell, Media, CALSTART, (626) 744-5602, www.calstart.org; Jay Sandler, Vice President, Sales, Azure Dynamics, (248) 298-2403 ext. 1205, jsandler@azuredynamics.com, www.azuredynamics.com.

7 EV charging stations installed in Sonoma; only 193 to go (G&C, Ind. Report)

Sonoma County, CA has applied for federal funding to install 200 Coulomb ChargePoint EV charging stations but, in the meantime, county officials have installed 7 charging stations to whet the public's appetite for electric transportation. Sonoma County is home to 425,000 residents, and the plan is to let local EV owners use the charging stations -- providing they have a Coulomb Smart Card membership -- during the day, and reserve the slots for municipal and commercial fleet vehicles during the evenings. Sonoma is the fourth Bay Area County to embrace electrification.

(Source: Treehugger, July 3, 2009). Contact: Mike Kerns, Chairman, Board of Sonoma County Supervisors, (707) 565-2241, mkerns@sonoma-county.org, www.sonoma-county.org; Richard Lowenthal, CEO, Coulomb Technologies, (408) 370-3802, richard@coulombtech.com, www.coulombtech.com

Toyota and Aston Martin to create the ultimate Fuel-Efficient city car (Int'l, New Prod. & Tech)

Toyota Motor Europe (TME) and Aston Martin are collaborating to create the Cygnet -- a pint-sized luxury commuter car based on the iQ platform that will be richly customized for Aston Martin owners. The new vehicle will reportedly leverage Aston Martin's design flair and Toyota's ability to create a tight, low-carbon car for the 21st century that measures just three meters (9.8 feet) in length.

"It's a great compliment that the Toyota iQ has been hand-picked by one of the world's most prestigious sports car brands, a company with whom we also share a strong friendship," said Tadashi Arashima, Toyota Europe CEO. "This collaboration represents a natural pairing of strategies: a small yet spacious package, perfect for the city driver, finished off with Aston Martin's iconic design language. The Cygnet is a good choice for the Aston Martin owner looking for that second or third car, which is luxurious and eco-conscious."

Editor's Note: Reports also suggest that the 56 mpg iQ is coming to the US under the Scion brand, perhaps as soon as 2011. (Source: Green Car Congress, June 29, 2009). Contact: Etienne Plas, Media, Toyota Europe, +32 (2) 745-2022, etienne.plas@toyota-europe.com, toyota-europe.com; Aston Martin, www.astonmartin.com.