Enel and Piaggio to develop hybrid vehicles

28th January 2010

European energy efficiency company Enel and scooter manufacturer the Piaggio Group have signed an agreement to develop zero and low environmental impact mobility systems.

US announces $2.3bn in new clean energy manufacturing tax credits

11th January 2010

US President Barack Obama has announced awardees of the clean energy manufacturing tax credit in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Volvo delivers hybrid buses to Norway

8th January 2010

Norwegian transport operator company Nettbuss has ordered 12 hybrid buses from Volvo Buses for service in Norway, becoming the first company in the Nordic region to implement the hybrid technology commercially.

Valence Technology, Foundation Bénéteau Yachts, Volkswagen, ZF Marine collaborate to produce hybrid yachts

7th December 2009

NASDAQ-listed Texan lithium energy storage company Valence Technology is collaborating with custom yacht builder Foundation Bénéteau Yachts, marine diesel engine company Volkswagen and driveline integrator ZF Marine to bring hybrid blue-water yachts to market.

Itochu invests $20m in electric vehicle battery manufacturer

7th December 2009

NASDAQ-listed hybrid car lithium-ion battery manufacturer Ener1 has received $20m in fresh investment capital from Itochu Corporation, a Japanese commercial trading company specialising in renewable energy investments. Itochu purchased 3.2 million shares of common stock from Ener1 at a price of $6.18 per share.

UK materials company Ilika and Toyota extend partnership for electric and hybrid vehicles

2nd December 2009

UK materials company Ilika Technologies has extended a collaboration into 2010 with Japanese car-maker Toyota Motor Company, which was initially started in February 2008.

Four million hybrid vehicles to be sold by 2015, according to report

16th November 2009

According to a recent report, cumulative sales of hybrid vehicles in the fleet sector will total nearly four million worldwide between 2009 and 2015.

US Department of Energy finalises $5.9bn loan for Ford to develop hybrid and electric vehicles

21st September 2009

The US Department of Energy has finalised a loan of $5.9bn for Ford Motor Company to invest in fuel efficiency through the development of technologies such as hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles.

Latest quarterly results show patents for clean energy technologies on the rise

25th August 2009

Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C. released its second quarter 2009 results for the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index (CEPGI) by the firm’s cleantech group, showing a rise in the sector.

General Motors’ Chevrolet Volt hybrid to achieve 230 miles per gallon

12th August 2009

According to testing undertaken by US car company Chevrolet, the company’s Volt hybrid vehicle can achieve city fuel economy of at least 230 miles per gallon.

Renewable energy technology company Raser Technologies sees revenues rise in Q2 2009

7th August 2009

Renewable energy technology company Raser Technologies, Inc. reported revenues of approximately $407,000 in the second quarter of 2009, compared to approximately $6,000 in same period in the previous year. During the second quarter of 2009, the company began selling electricity generated from its Thermo No. 1 Plant to the City of Anaheim, California.

Fisher Coachworks engages AVL’s fuel powertrain technology for hybrid buses

6th August 2009

US vehicle manufacturing company Fisher Coachworks Has issued the first of a series of supplier relationship announcements in support of its final design and production launch of the GTB-40 PHEV Urban Transit Bus. In support of the final engineering process, Fisher Coachworks selected fuel powertrain technology company AVL Powertrain Engineering, Inc. to assess Fisher’s propulsion system component selection and emissions certification strategies.

UQM Technologies awarded $45.1m grant from the US Department of Energy for electric power systems

6th August 2009

UQM Technologies, Inc., a developer of alternative energy technologies, has been selected by the US Department of Energy to receive a $45.1m award under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to accelerate the manufacturing and deployment of electric vehicles, batteries and components in America.

Energy technology company Raser appoints Jim Spellman to lead plug-in hybrid team

3rd August 2009

Energy technology company Raser Technologies has appointed Jim Spellman to take over the leadership of the company’s plug-in hybrid team. Patrick J Schwartz will step down as president of Raser Technologies to pursue other opportunities, according to a statement.

Toyota to build hybrid car in Britain

17th July 2009

Car-maker Toyota is to build a full hybrid version of its Auris hatchback in the UK with production starting next year.

1.7 million plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to be on world’s roadways by 2015, according to new research

8th July 2009

Major automakers are preparing to launch the first models in a new generation of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in 2010, the development of which has been aided by a mix of consumer demand for fuel efficient cars and considerable government incentives, according to a new report from Pike Research.

Venture-backed green car start-up V-Vehicles to open US manufacturing facility

18th June 2009

Venture-backed green car start-up V-Vehicles is to build a new manufacturing facility in Louisiana, US. The company is backed by US venture capital investor Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers, as well as renewable energy investor T Boone Pickens.

Scotland unveils route to green energy future

17th June 2009

A massive increase in clean, green energy and full take up of electric and alternative fuel vehicles is needed to drastically cut emissions by 2050 and transform Scotland into a low carbon economy, in line with new measures as part of the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Delivery Plan, which sets out a vision to meet the world leading Climate Change Bill target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.

Shai Agassi of Better Place believes China will lead the way in electric vehicles

17th June 2009

Shai Agassi, CEO of Better Place, believes China is on the verge of unleashing electric vehicles and the rest of the world will be forced to follow suit.

Ford details progress on blueprint for sustainability

17th June 2009

Car giant Ford’s annual sustainability report shows that the company is on track to reach its product carbon dioxide goal, which calls for a 30 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2020, the company said.

NewNet Investor Profile: Raj Atluru, Draper Fisher Jurvetson

16th June 2009

Raj Atluru discusses why hybridisation is the technology to watch, the effects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on cleantech investment and why he believes the US will emerge with the biggest winners.

‘The ongoing policy frameworks supporting cleantech companies, coupled with enormous demand drivers gives young companies a fantastic platform on which to succeed and build very valuable companies.’

US alternative energy technologies company UQM Technologies announces $2.77m in military orders

16th June 2009

UQM Technologies, Inc., a developer of alternative energy technologies, has received orders from military customers totaling $2.77m over the past three months. The orders were for propulsion systems, generators and funded engineering activities.

Volvo Cars and Vattenfall to develop new plug-in hybrid

2nd June 2009

Swedish energy company Vattenfall and the Volvo Car Corporation have launched an industrial joint venture partnership to introduce plug-in hybrids on the market.

Energy storage market to reach $4.1bn in ten years, according to research

18th May 2009

The growth of renewable energy around the world, the need for utilities to capture and store electricity for later use is becoming increasingly important. The demand for energy storage is driven by several trends, including the proliferation of intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, the move toward smart grids, and the coming rise of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles, to name just three. While storing electricity was once thought a practical impossibility, a variety of technologies have now emerged to disprove that theory, and the global energy storage market is poised to grow from $329m in 2008 to $4.1bn by 2018, according to a new report from Pike Research.

GE Transportation to builds $100m battery manufacturing facility to advance hybrid technologies

12th May 2009

GE Transportation, a unit of the General Electric Company, is to build a new manufacturing plant for advanced storage batteries, the company announced in a statement.

Cleantech investors Quercus Trust and 21 Ventures invest in Israeli electric car company ETV Motors

28th April 2009

ETV Motors, an Israeli start-up developing electric vehicle propulsion technology, has closed its Series A investment round. The round was led by The Quercus Trust of Newport Beach, California, with New York-based cleantech investor 21Ventures co-investing.

Fisker to raise further $85m in venture capital for green automobiles

7th April 2009

Fisker Automotive, Inc., a producer of green technology automobiles, is to receive an additional $85m in venture capital funding for the development and manufacturing of its Karma plug-in hybrid automobiles. The financing is expected to be completed this month and will be the fourth and largest investment round since the company’s inception in August 2007, Fisker said.

Arizona Public Service Company requests renewable energy from projects in the area

26th March 2009

Arizona Public Service Company, Arizona’s largest electricity utility, has submitted a Request for Proposal for renewable energy generated from small projects in the area.

President Obama names renewable energy as a top priority for 2009 budget

23rd March 2009

In his weekly address, US President Barack Obama said his focus would be upon securing a greener economy as a means to tackle the vast financial difficulties facing the country.

President Obama launches two new electric vehicle programmes in the US

20th March 2009

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, US President Barack Obama has launched two programmes that will boost the development of electric vehicles in the US.

Nissan and Pima Association of Governments develop electric vehicle charging network in the Tucson region, US

10th March 2009

Car maker Nissan and Pima Association of Governments (PAG), which represents the Tucson region in the US, have formed a partnership to promote zero-emission transport by developing an electric vehicle charging network.

Coulomb Technologies installs hybrid vehicle charging stations in San Francisco

19th February 2009

Vehicle infrastructure company Coulomb Technologies has installed its Networked Charging Stations at City Hall in San Francisco, US.

Valeo, Michelin team up to develop electric and rechargeable hybrid vehicle systems

13th February 2009

Producer of car components Valeo and Michelin have signed a deal to develop electric and rechargeable hybrid vehicle systems.

Obama points to clean energy future

6th February 2009

In a speech to the US Department of Energy, President Obama warned that ‘time for action is now,’ as the economy continues to flail and ‘a bad situation will become dramatically worse.’

Raser signs $15m line of credit agreement

30th January 2009

Raser Technologies, Inc. has signed a line of credit agreement, enabling the company to borrow up to $15m.

Ontario backs PM Plastics as part of a green jobs initiative

21st January 2009

The government of Ontario, Canada is backing automotive fuel parts manufacturer PM Plastics in order to create new jobs and ensure that existing ones remain safe.

David Cameron unveils plans to create low carbon economy in UK

16th January 2009

Leader of the Conservative Party David Cameron has unveiled plans to create a low carbon economy in the UK.

Fallbrook Technologies closes $25m financing round

12th January 2009

Fallbrook Technologies, a company focused on transmissions for engine and human powered devices, has completed the first close of a $25.4m funding round. NGEN III acted as lead investor, providing the fund with $10m. Robeco, the investment arm of Rabobank, supplied an extra $10m, with Windstone Capital Partners providing advisory support for the round.

Pragmentalists vs Environmentalists: Prius: Green or Greenwash?

16th December 2008

What is the actual impact of hybrids? In this article from Vinod Khosla, he analyses hybrids, ranging from the conventional Toyota Prius to fashionable plug-in hybrids. The focus here is on highlighting the actual carbon emission reduction of hybrids (particularly vis-à-vis biofuels), and discussing the best possible solutions to reduce these emissions at a reasonable cost both in the near and long-term. We object to greenwashing (powered by large marketing machines) that obfuscate the facts that suggest hybrids can solve our problems.

Better Place joins mission to bring electric vehicles to Japan

9th December 2008

Better Place will join Japanese company Fuji Heavy Industries, the maker of Subaru automobiles, and other Japanese carmakers in the first Ministry of Environment electric-vehicle project in Japan.

ISE closes $17.5m funding to expand energy storage technology

18th November 2008

ISE Corporation, Siemens Venture Capital, Macquarie Clean Technology Fund and DTE Energy Ventures have completed a $17.5m equity investment in ISE. The funding will be used for the expansion of the company’s energy storage systems as well as enhancing sales to the transit bus marketplace in the US and Europe.

Venture-backed hybrid car company Fisker opens engineering and development centre

12th November 2008

Green car company Fisker Automotive has opened a new engineering and development centre in Michigan, US. The company previously received backing from venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Palo Alto Investors and QIA.

Obama’s New Energy Plan for US

5th November 2008

Barack Obama’s victory in the US presidential election could spark changes for the country’s energy policies. Investors in the renewable energy and cleantech sectors are looking with increased interest at to Obama’s New Energy Plan, in which he outlined his proposals for the future in his election manifesto.

Envia Systems raises $3.2m in venture capital funding

31st October 2008

Californian battery technology company Envia Systems has raised $3.2m in first-round funding from US venture Capital firms Bay Partners and Redpoint Ventures.

UK announces £100m green motoring initiative

27th October 2008

UK Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon has announced a steps across Government to deliver a £100m commitment to accelerate the emergence of greener vehicles. As part of this, 100 electric cars will be provided in UK towns and cities to allow families and other motorists the opportunity to feedback the practical steps needed to make greener motoring an everyday reality.

Battery cell company Ener1 to acquire stake in South Korean battery producer Enertech

20th October 2008

Battery cell company Ener1 is to acquire stake in South Korean battery producer Enertech
Ener1 has agreed to acquire an 83 per cent interest in South Korean lithium-ion battery cell producer Enertech International.